


Friend of a friend

by VenlaMatleena



Category: Actor RPF
Genre: Disagreements, Eventual Fluff, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Friendship, Jealousy, Making Up, Misunderstandings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-17
Updated: 2016-07-05
Packaged: 2018-07-15 16:45:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 22
Words: 62,775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7230526
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VenlaMatleena/pseuds/VenlaMatleena
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You (the reader) are living and working in London. Your friend gets married and in the wedding you'll meet Michael Fassbender.</p><p>Originally an one shot but now I am trying to write a longer story from it because it was requested by Catalina. Thank you for the request. I hope you will like this.</p><p>Ps. I added dialogue to the original short story.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The wedding

You had moved in London to achieve your dream of becoming a singer. You had made some friends online so you had connections and as a hobby you had agreed to perform in weddings and other similar events as a vocalist of a band that played danceable music. You had met a guy online with whom you had been briefly in cyber-love but it had ended quickly because of the distance and he had fallen in love with a real-life person, however you had stayed as good friends and still chatted almost daily. You had befriended also with the woman he was now about to marry.  
Your band was hired to play for a couple of hours and you had been also invited as a guest. You arrived to the church and then moved with the guests to the party venue. There were lots of guests and you only knew a few of them. 

\- Congratulations to both of you! You look so happy! you said when it was your time to greet the happy couple.  
\- Thank you. We indeed are! the bride said and wiped a tear of pure joy off her cheek.  
\- Dear (Y/N), there is one guy here, a good friend of mine from my student years… I want you to meet him…  
\- What?  
\- Yeah, yeah… He is a great guy and you are a great girl. I think you would be perfect for each other!  
\- Oh, come on. Garret. This is your wedding… I didn’t come here for matchmaking.  
\- This is a celebration for love. I want you to find yours.  
\- Right. Who is the “lucky” bastard?  
\- See that guy in a gray suit over there? he said and pointed at a tall man with slightly light brown ginger-ish hair.  
\- Yes, Garret, I see him.  
\- Well… I expect you to go and talk to him.  
\- Ha!   
\- Alright then, I’ll tell him to come and ask you for a dance.  
\- No… I will be busy on the stage. No time to dance. you said, congratulated the couple once more and then moved on. You found your seat, conveniently opposite to that man, who by the way paid no attention to you. You recognized him; Michael Fassbender. Yeah… for some reason your friend had thought that you should meet him and you both had been placed to the singles-table. You did not chat with him since he was kept busy by all the gorgeous women in the table and the only person who tried to have a conversation with you was some guy closer to 50 years than 30.  
It was your time to go up on the stage anyway. You excused yourself when the host announced that the band would soon start playing. The first set lasted about 30 minutes and after that you took a break. You sat at the singles-table alone and drank your glass empty. You saw Garret talking to Michael and then pointing at you. Michael looked at your direction and smiled politely. After finishing the conversation with Garret he walked to you and asked you to dance.

\- Hi, I’m Michael. Garret asked me to take you on the dance floor before you’ll return to the stage. He apparently thinks that you would be perfect for me. he said and sounded suspicious or sarcastic even.  
\- I see…  
\- But who am I to judge since he knows me quite well.  
\- Right…  
\- He told me that you are a fan…  
\- Did he now?  
\- Yep, and you would like to go out with me.  
\- Okay… this is getting awkward. Please stop…  
\- So how about that dance? he asked and offered his hand.  
\- Yeah, why not. you answered and stood up. You did not take his hand though. You walked to the dance floor but just as you were going to turn to face Michael the host signed you to come to the backstage. Apparently there was a problem.  
\- Sorry… I must take a rain check for that dance. you stated.  
\- Don’t worry, you aren’t my type anyway…  
\- Who is?  
\- Models and actresses. I have a strict no-no -policy with singers.   
\- Well isn’t that convenient. you said slightly annoyed. Soon you returned on the stage and sang for an hour. Then there was a small break and the last half an hour of your set, then you were done with the band. Michael had left by the time you had managed to take the instruments and other band-stuff to the van. Garret walked to you when you were collecting the papers with lyrics and notes.

\- So… How did it go with Michael? Isn’t he great!?  
\- He is something alright. you mumbled half aloud.  
\- So, did you schedule a date?  
\- No… he isn’t really my type…  
\- Are you saying that rich, talented, successful, tall and handsome is not your type?  
\- I guess I am.  
\- Since when?  
\- Come on… if it makes you feel any better, I wasn’t his type either.  
\- Really?  
\- Yeah… apparently models and actresses only. No singers.  
\- Really? I think I’ve seen him with a… he said and then shut his mouth instantly when he saw the look on your face. You looked hurt but before Garret had a chance to say anything, you flashed a smile and said  
\- So it was just me then. No worries. Anyway… thank you for trying and congratulations!  
\- I will talk with him tomor-  
\- No… please don’t. Please do not mention me unless he brings it up himself. And same goes for my number. You may give it… but only if he asks for it, and I mean clearly with words; Garret, can you give me (Y/N)s number?” Ok?  
\- Okay. But so you know that I do not like this… I was so sure that you two…  
\- Let’s not rub it in my face. Congratulations and goodnight. I will find Emily before I’ll leave and wish her goodnight personally as well.  
You hugged Garret briefly, found Emily and then went home. The weeks passed and you got invited to a house warming party at Garrets and Emilys home. You had not been told who else had been invited but you had been told that there were only few guests attending.


	2. Game-nights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sharing a friend means that you will attend same parties.

You took a bus to the neighborhood and walked slowly forward until you were at their house. You rang the doorbell and Emily came to open the door. You handed the gift you had bought for their new bigger apartment that they had gotten after the wedding. They had moved from the city center to the suburbs. You walked in and greeted the guests.  
Michael was there also.  
\- Michael! Look who’s here! Garret shouted. He was a bit tipsy already and when he had been drinking he wasn’t exactly subtle or censored himself that much.  
\- Hi. you said and did a small hello –gesture with your hand as you blushed. Emily gave you a tour.  
\- So…  
\- Why no one told me that Michael was here?  
\- Is there something going on between you two?  
\- No! Uhm… no, not at all. It was just slightly awkward at the wedding and I had not expected to see him again… like… ever.  
\- Michael is one of our closest friends, even though he is famous and busy… it has not changed the friendship between Garret and him.  
\- And that is great!  
\- So it means that he will be around… Emily said and winked her eye at you.  
\- And I have no problem with that. you stated as you smirked to cover your state of irritation. You walked to the living room to join the others. There were games and you had been paired with one certain guest. You kept your cool anyway.  
\- How do you know Garret? Michael asked suddenly when you were left alone with him.  
\- I met him online and we started chatting… It was ages ago.  
\- Oh now I know who you are! He told me about you!  
\- Hm…  
\- There was a time that you two were pretty close…  
\- Well… how close can you be in a long distance friendship…  
\- If I remember correct, it was more than just friendship…  
\- Doesn’t matter. I had never planned to move in London anyway, so… I’m happy that he met Emily…  
\- Yes… he met Emily when you two were still…  
\- Like I said, it doesn’t matter. Emily is a wonderful person, there are no hard feelings from my part. you said and smiled. It had stung quite a lot when it had happened but now it was fine. But even though you were completely fine, honestly, with how the things had turned out, you still felt it was not a subject to be discussed in the presence of the couple in question.  
\- Do you ever think what might happened if you had booked a flight to London back then?  
\- No… I used to, but it has been so many years now and life goes on. you said with a thoughtful look on your face and with a hint of sadness in your voice. You emptied your glass and glanced at your phone. You were practically ready to try anything to change the subject. Michael however was clearly waiting for you to say something.  
\- But as I said before… I am happy for them. you added after a moment of silence. The presence of Michael fascinated and irritated you at the same time. His rudeness had had no limits at the wedding and you suspected that he probably was full of himself anyway, besides he was asking way too personal questions.  
\- This is so strange; it feels like I knew you already. Michael stated. He had indeed heard a lot about you because he and Garret had been close friends since they were studying in the same university.  
\- So you became a singer…  
\- Yes and no. Singing is just a hobby… I work with computers. And you’re an actor…  
\- Yeah… Living the dream…  
\- That’s cool. you commented.  
A silence followed. Michael emptied his glass and put it on the table. 

He kept drumming his knee with his fingers and humming a tune. The silence turned awkward and finally he asked  
\- So… Are you seeing anyone?  
\- No… you stated and rolled your eyes.  
\- I cannot say that I’m surprised, but do tell, why is that?  
You shifted your gaze at him and did not even try to mask your irritation.  
\- Because men are jerks! you exclaimed.  
\- So you’re saying that Garret is a jerk?  
\- No…  
\- He is a man, isn’t he?  
\- He is the exception that makes the rule. you stated and shook your head. You did not really believe where this conversation was heading.  
\- Am I a jerk? he asked. He looked at you with his blue eyes that were piercing through you, challenging you. It annoyed you greatly. Why did he have such power over you? You wanted nothing more than to answer “yes” but since he was Garrets dear friend, nothing good would come if you started to fight with Michael. Garret would be the one caught in the crossfire and someone would get hurt.  
\- Well… I do not think I should say. You’re a friend after all…  
\- Oh, we’re friends?  
\- Okay… let me rephrase it; you are a friend of my friend. I do not know you, but I must say that the first impression has not been a good one.  
\- So on in other words I am a jerk?  
You thought what to answer for a moment and then looked at him with a neutral look on your face.  
\- Yes.  
\- You really wanted to dance with me in the wedding, didn’t you?  
\- N-  
\- Come on… You can admit it-  
\- No… But I do admit that you could had been a little less rude.  
\- Rude? I think I was being fun-  
\- Funny? No… you made fun of me and you really showed me my place. I have no idea what Garret thought when he assumed that you and I… Ha-ha! What a joke!  
\- Well, now that you’re at it… Since you seem to know me so well, would you like to give me a deeper insight of my character? Michael asked.  
\- Sure… You’re rude…  
\- Heard that already…  
\- Self-absorbed…  
\- Well that was new… he commented.  
\- Inconsiderate…  
\- My girlfriends have not complained…  
\- I don’t see a ring on your finger. you said and glared at him.  
\- Well… I can say the same thing about you. he said. You showed him your left hand as a protest and looked at him angrily. No, there was no ring in your finger either.  
\- Jerk. you mumbled.  
\- Bitch. he mumbled.

After that you sat silently with your backs slightly turned at each other. When the rest of the guests returned to the living room, the look on your face changed completely. You were acting like everything was alright. Michael also pretended that he had been having so much fun with you. When it was time for you to leave, you said goodbyes to everyone, even to Michael who, for your surprise, came to say goodbyes personally.  
\- You came to see if I’ll really leave? you asked. He was silent for a moment and then answered  
\- Sure.  
\- Well, don’t worry, I am leaving. you said checked your purse that you had everything.  
\- Will you get home safely? he asked suddenly. You mumbled “yeah-yeah” and then opened the door. Your focus was on your phone as you were trying to check the timetable for the next bus.  
\- Are you sure? I could…  
\- Yes! I am sure. Are you this paranoid; afraid that I will stay here and… stalk you? I am leaving!  
\- Alright-alright! Goodnight (Y/N). he said with a surprisingly soft tone, however you were too focused on the bus schedules to pay any attention to him. Besides you were seriously pissed off.  
\- Yeah, whatever. you mumbled.

The next time when you were visiting Garret and Emily, Michael was there again. You were playing a game where you got a word on the paper and then you had to act it to your pair. You had been paired with Michael, no surprise there, but what surprised you was the way you made a good team. You were able to guess most of the words that he was mimicking and he was able to guess almost all of yours. You kept laughing together and making victory moves every time when you gained headway.  
When Garret and Emily went to fix something to eat into the kitchen, you were left alone, deliberately, with Michael again.  
\- Have you been dating jerks lately? he asked curiously.  
\- No… or yes… you chuckled and stood up. You walked to the doorway of living room and spied on what the happy couple was doing. They were laughing as they made sandwiches together. Michael walked next to you.  
\- I think I should stay away from men for a while.  
\- Something happened? he asked and for a moment he sounded almost sincerely concerned.  
\- The usual… I mean… look at them. They got it right… you said and pointed at Garret subtly.  
\- I guess…  
\- I never get it right. you commented and sighed. It was obvious that you were disappointed with your love-life. Michael put his hand on your shoulder. You took the gesture as mockery… twisted-kind of pity.  
\- Come on, don’t you want to find someone to share your life with? you asked.  
\- Nah… I think I should stay away from relationships for a moment. he answered and if you had been listening carefully, you would had been able to read between the lines that he had been hurt recently, but you did not pay attention either to his tone or body language.  
\- So just… casual hookups for you?  
\- Yeah, I guess… he mumbled but he sounded hesitant. However, once more, you did not pay attention to the tone.  
\- Hm… well, to be honest, I am not surprised.  
\- Oh, here we go again. he mumbled and flashed a wide smile.  
\- No, I am not going there again! you chuckled. You two started to argue about something but there was a lot of laughter involved. In a way you had managed to develop your own twisted-kind-of inside-joke where you just said rude things to each other and tried to get even, or better yet, to say something ruder. 

You saw each other like this about 10 times after that and occasionally you even had thought-provoking conversations about various subjects but you kept playfully fighting verbally about everything, which looked to Garret that you did not get along at all. You had to explain a couple of times to him that either of you, Michael or yourself, did not mean the things that you said to each other. It was just… stupid… fun. The last time you were having one of these game-nights Emily said suddenly  
\- You two fight like an old married couple! You really deserve each other!  
\- What? you exclaimed and started to laugh.  
\- Are you kidding me? I would never date (Y/N)! Michael said and slid his hand behind your back slowly.  
\- Yeah! I am not a model or an actress, so game over! you replied and took a look at Michael. He was staring at you with a smile on his face. The smile was not the usual grinning-styled, joking smile but something quite charming. You noticed that both of your hosts had left the entrance hall already. You stepped a little bit further away from Michael and said  
\- You know… if you wanted to… solve our “marriage problems” over a cup of tea… I would be free tomor-  
\- Sorry, no… I-  
\- Oh, well… yeah… Okay. Wow… this is awkward. Uhm… Forget that… Okay… yeah. you muttered and left. You had been standing in the entrance hall with your shoes and coat anyway so all you had to do was to take your purse and open the door. You shouted goodbyes to Garret and Emily as you walked out to the front yard and closed the door behind you. You ran to the bus that was about to leave from the stop. You heard someone maybe shouting something but you did not stop to listen.

The next time Michael was not there, participating to the game night. Emily told you that he had left right after the previous game-night because he was going to be shooting a film in the USA for next 6 months. “Figured” you thought to yourself since you had actually started to enjoy talking with him and maybe even gotten attracted to him, again. Fine, yes… you had gotten attracted to him and for a moment you had thought that he had been attracted to you. Perhaps it was a good thing to take some distance since it had been rather hard for you to separate anything from anything anymore; what smiles were just plain friendly, which were part of your inside joke and which were… something else… or when he had put his hand behind your back… What was that supposed to mean? Or was it supposed to mean anything?


	3. Christmas gets interesting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You get invited to a Christmas party.

The months slipped away and suddenly it was Christmas. You had heard some news of Michael and you had continued your series of first-dates with jerks, even though you had sworn that you would not even try anymore. Somehow you found yourself asking the same first-date-questions from a guy after another but nothing ever felt quite right. There was no spark. No one made you laugh or challenge you intellectually. No… it was better to just… blah!  
Garret and Emily were hosting a Christmas party, or it was more like they had invited you because they did not want you to spend the Christmas alone. You had told them that it was no biggie and you did not want to intrude but there was no way Garret was going to give up.

You took a cab there because the public transportation had stopped around midday on the Christmas Eve. You had bought the couple a present and decorated it with red and silver-colored ribbons. When you got to their place, you paid the driver and wished him happy holidays. He commented something about a possible snowstorm that would most likely make his Christmas rather unhappy. It was a well-known fact that London sank into a total chaos when there was even 5 cm of snow. Now the weather forecast had said “15cm”. You left the car, walked to the door and knocked. Garret opened it and let you in. 

\- Merry Christmas! he said and hugged you.  
\- Likewise. you answered as you handed him the gift basket.  
\- What did you… he mumbled as he glanced through the things; wine, apples, biscuits, spices, flowers and candles.  
\- You really didn’t have to…  
\- I know… but I wanted to… Where is Emily? you asked and took off your jacket.  
\- She’s in the living room. Come… he said and you followed him into the living room. You saw Emily chatting with Michael on the sofa. She stood up to hug you and then sat down next to Garret on another sofa leaving you the only seat available; it was next to Michael. You sat down.  
\- (Y/N) brought us a basket full of…  
\- Nothing special, really… you interrupted Garret.  
\- You’re being too humble! If it’s from you, it’s special. Emily stated. You smiled.

\- So you’re back… you said and looked at Michael. He was tanned and looked as good as ever. His tan really brought out the iciness of his eye color. He was wearing jeans and a t-shirt with a V –neckline. He looked hot, very handsome indeed. He had been clearly doing some training for the role because you noticed that his muscles were now more defined than the previous time when you had seen him.  
\- Yes. I was shooting a film in California and therefore I’ve missed all the parties and gatherings here. Did you miss me? he asked casually.  
\- Well of course! you joked and laughed. He chuckled as well. The truth was that you had secretly missed him. You were not proud of it but it was something you could not control. You had been quite successfully over him until you had now seen him again. All the old, “forgotten” feelings came rushing back.  
Michael told funny stories about the shooting, how he had almost broken his nose while practicing a fighting scene with a stunt coordinator. Emily and Garret talked about the things that had happened in London. You listened silently and laughed occasionally. It was dinner time and after finishing the meal you passed Michael as you were heading back to the living room.  
\- Hey… he said. You stopped and turned around.  
\- What?  
\- Mistletoe. he said.  
\- Huh? you asked. He pointed up to the green thing that was hanging from the doorway.   
\- What about it?  
\- Fine… I’ll let you off the hook this time. But only once. he joked and followed you to the living room. You sat on the sofa and Michael sat on the other sofa this time. Garret and Emily came there too soon and there were light conversations about casual topics.

However Michael kept looking at you, like he had been reading your mind. It made you feel a bit uncomfortable to be honest; like the air had left the room suddenly. You excused yourself and went to the backyard to get some fresh air. It had started to snow and the wind made the visibility very poor as the snow flew in every direction. The wind was cold and made you shiver but you were not ready yet to return inside.  
The only way there from the living room was through the dining area and therefore under the Mistletoe. You glanced on it on your way out briefly and chuckled. When you came back in you saw Michael standing in the doorway again. You walked to the kitchen, took a glass and filled it with cold water. He followed your every move very closely.  
You leaned to the kitchen counter as you sipped the water.

\- Why are you standing there? you asked. Michael did not answer. You put the glass in the sink and then took a big breath before you walked to the dining room on your way back to the living room. You casually approached Michael and did not take even one glance at the green thingy hanging over his head. When you were at the doorway, suddenly he put his arm in front of you and blocked the way.  
\- I told you before… I let you off the hook only once and this is the second time you’re trying to avoid Christmas traditions.  
\- And what tradition would that be? you asked.  
\- The Mistletoe –tradition….  
\- I wouldn’t know anything about that since my family doesn’t really celebrate Christmas with traditional… traditions. you stated as you bent down your back and went under his arm. “Ha! (Y/N) one, Michael zero” you thought and chuckled in your mind. You turned to face him and bowed in a theatrical way with a smirk on your face.  
Emily came from the living room to see what was keeping you two.  
\- Emily dear, (Y/N) is not respecting our traditions… Michael said.  
\- And what tradition are we talking about? she asked, although she had a pretty good idea according to the location where he was standing.  
\- The Mistletoe –tradition. She told me that her family doesn’t practice it and therefore she does not know what it is.  
\- Maybe you should educate her. she said, grabbed your shoulders and pushed you back to the doorway.  
\- Now, stay. she said as she took her hands off your shoulders and returned to the living room. You heard Garret asking “what is going on there?” and Emily answering “it’s finally going to happen!”

You stood in the doorway facing Michael.  
\- So… where were we? he asked and smiled a little as he stroked a lock of your hair with his fingers.  
\- Oh yes… the tradition… he said and smiled more widely.   
\- I think you know… he whispered as he leaned closer. He stared into your eyes with his icy blue orbs. You did not dare to look away; his look was both mesmerizing and dangerous.  
\- Are you two having a staring contest? Garret shouted from the living room because he had been spying a little on what was happening.  
\- You’re distracting, Garret! Michael answered, not shifting his gaze. Even his gaze was enough to make your heart drum faster and cause the butterflies fly frantically around in your stomach.  
He placed his hands on your cheeks and slowly pressed his lips on yours. His lips were warm and soft as he pushed you against the wall. He moved his hand behind your head and tucked his fingers in your hair. You wrapped your arms around him. The kiss lasted for a long time and when he finally released your lips your head was spinning. He chuckled with a slightly mischievous tone, and as you were about to return to the living room, he grabbed your waist and pressed you against the wall in an almost rough manner and kissed you like his life had depended on it. He buried his face into your neck and kissed the sensitive skin under your ear.


	4. Staying the night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Snowstorm forces you to stay the night at Garrets and Emilys place.

You were speechless when he pulled back with a smile on his face. You touched your lips that were still tingling from the kiss and felt Michaels hand behind your back guiding you back to the living room. You sat on the sofa and he sat beside you. You kept having a conversation like nothing had ever happened but he kept his hand behind your back and slid it up and down slowly on the back of your shirt. You had to admit to yourself; it felt nice, very nice.  
\- Oh gosh, it’s getting late. I should head home. you said when you checked the time from your phone. You stood up and took a look from the window. The weather had gotten drastically worse.  
\- How are you supposed to get home in this weather? Emily asked.  
\- Uhm… I’ll call a cab…  
\- There is no way you’ll get a cab in this weather.  
\- Really? It’s just a little snowstorm…  
\- There is no such thing than “little snowstorm” here in London. If we get 5cm of snow, the whole city goes into a chaos. Michael stated.  
\- I would drive you home, but I’ve had wine. he continued.  
\- That’s quite alright. I’ll walk. you said. For you it was no big deal to walk in snow, you had been growing up with four seasons after all.  
\- No! Absolutely not. Garret said.  
\- We have a guestroom ready for Michael, I’m sure the king-size bed can fit you both.  
\- Oh no… I am more than happy to walk home, or if you’ll insist that I’ll stay then I am more than happy sleep on the sof-  
\- No you will not. Michael interrupted and winked at you.  
\- Right… you said and as you were about to continue objecting, Garret showed you a “shush” –sign.

\- A-alright. I’d better to get to bed, I’m getting quite tired. you said. Emily showed you into the guest room. You washed your makeup off and took off your long sleeved shirt leaving you with your tube-top and skirt. You took also your stockings off and dived under the big blanket. Soon there was a knock on the door and Michael entered the room. He took off his shirt and jeans and then joined you under the covers.  
\- Goodnight. he said and you mumbled something in return. He chuckled and that was the last thing you heard, then you fell asleep.  
You had strange, slightly terrible dreams and you woke up in the middle of the night. You got out from the bed and walked to the window. It was still snowing and wind bent the trees making them to create noises of cracking and scratching. Michael woke up and walked behind you. He wrapped his arms around you and buried his face in your hair.  
\- Can’t sleep?  
\- No… I just had a nightmare and I do not sleep too well during the storms. Must be the air-pressure or… something.  
\- Like some people lose sleep over full moon, that kind of thing? he asked.  
\- Yeah… Whatever it is, it’s freaking weird and drives me insane because I cannot function properly without sleep. you were awfully tense because you had not gotten used to being hugged like that, but there was something about the sound of his breathing that made you forget your need for personal space and surprisingly you were able to relax. You closed your eyes and put your hands over his.  
Michael made a soft “mmm” –sound, slid his other hand up on your arm to your neck and gently gathered your hair and brushed it on your right shoulder. That exposed your neck. He pressed a soft kiss on it and then pulled you back in bed. This time he did not stay on his side but pulled you in his arms to sleep. You both fell asleep quite soon and slept peacefully until it was late morning. You were on your side, his arm under your head and your hand on his chest since he was sleeping on his back.

You yawned and rolled on your back and opened your eyes not realizing where you were. You blinked a few times when you heard someone breathing next to you. You took a glance and saw Michael staring at you. You were surprised and sat up, you plan was to get up and leave the bed immediately. He however pulled you down and rolled on top of you. He did not want you to leave the bed just yet.  
\- I… got you a gift. he said suddenly with husky voice.  
\- What?  
\- Yeah, I knew you were coming…  
\- I had no idea that you…  
\- I know, I asked Garret and Emily not to say anything…  
\- But why?  
\- I wanted to surprise you. The truth is that I have missed you.  
\- Me?  
\- Yes…  
-But why?   
\- Well… obviously I find you very attractive. I know I was rather rude and inconsiderate when we first met, but then slowly as I spent more time with you… I just began to see how perfect you are…  
\- No one’s perfect…  
\- You are perfect for me.  
\- You don’t even know me.  
\- I know enough. I know that you are smart and funny, warm but strong. Independent and you’re not afraid to laugh at yourself… The rest I will learn, if you’ll let me another chance to get the first impression right.  
\- You’re insane! you stated and laughed.  
\- Maybe, but you however don’t seem to share my feelings…  
\- Uhm…  
\- It’s fine… don’t worry about it. he said and looked slightly disappointed although he did his best to hide it. He was about to pull back so you had to react somehow.  
\- No… I mean yeah… I mean… I wasn’t expecting this. Like at all.  
\- Really? After all that flirting and…  
\- Flirting?  
\- Yeah… didn’t you notice? I know I was away for many months, but before that I attended all the parties and gatherings just to see you… and hang out with Garret, of course… but my work takes me away occasionally…  
\- Yeah, well… That’s how it is. But… I asked you out and you turned me down.  
\- I was leaving the next day and you never let me finish. You just stormed out and ran to the bus. I tried to catch you, but you were too quick.  
\- Right… Hey… If you missed me so much, why didn’t you call…  
\- There was the time difference… thing…  
\- …or send me a message?  
\- And said what exactly? “Hi (Y/N), it’s Michael… remember me?”  
\- Well… that would had been a start, yes.  
\- Maybe… I wanted the start to be like this… he said with a smile on his face. You smiled back, comfortably lying with your head against the pillow. You had never expected to feel so calm and comfortable with someone that you knew so little. Sure you had seen each other in the game-nights many times and shared conversations but this was something different. This was something much more intimate.  
\- I assume I don’t need a Mistletoe to kiss you… he said and lowered himself closer.  
\- I’m willing to get it, if that is what it takes… he continued. You laughed, brushed his cheek gently with your fingertips and after running your fingers through his hair you put your hands on his sides and slid them on his back. You pulled him close enough to kiss him.

The knock on the door interrupted you. Emily opened the door.  
\- Oh, sorry… the breakfast is ready.  
\- Okay… you answered and got out from bed. Your skirt was wrinkled as well as your top. Emily closed the door. After she was gone Michael got off the bed in his boxers. You couldn’t help but take a quick look when was pulling his jeans on. He was in great shape. You blushed when he noticed you staring at him. “Uhm, I’m sorry” you mumbled and left the room. You went downstairs and into the dining room.  
\- So…? Emily asked.  
\- Nothing… you answered casually and sat down.  
\- Nothing? It didn’t look like nothing…  
\- We were just talking…  
\- About?  
\- Nothing… you answered and took a bite from an apple.  
\- Fine… but so you know, Garret stayed in touch with Michael during the time he was in LA… and he asked “how was everyone doing” and in couple of months we learned that he actually wanted to know how you were and if you were seeing anyone. Isn’t that correct, Michael? Emily asked when she saw him entering the dining room.  
\- Yes…   
\- So… when you say “nothing”… I know it’s something  
You laughed. The rest of the breakfast you chit-chatted about general topics and after eating you helped Garret and Emily to clean the table. You checked the weather; the day was cloudy but there was no wind.  
\- I think it’s time for me to go home. you said after getting dressed in the guestroom and returning downstairs.  
\- Do you have plans for the rest of the Christmas? Surely you’re not going to spend it alone? Emily asked.  
\- Well…  
\- No, she’s not. (Y/N) and I decided that she will come to my place and spend the Christmas there. Michael said suddenly. You mumbled something and tried to cover the “complete surprise” –look on your face as you put your coat and shoes on.  
\- That’s what we agreed, isn’t it? he asked and put his hand on your shoulder. You jumped slightly as you were being woken up from your thoughts.  
\- Yes. you managed to say and then reached for your purse which was on the floor.  
\- Anyway… thank you for the lovely Christmas Eve. It was fun. you said and left. You looked at the sky when you walked to the sidewalk that hadn’t been cleared from the snowfall yet. There was only 10cm of snow anyway so walking was no big deal for you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapters 1-4 have been dedicated to Catalina. Thank you for request :D
> 
> I hope you like the story so far.
> 
> \- Venla :)


	5. Giving it a shot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You start to see the considerate side of Mr. Fassbender. Maybe your first impression was totally wrong.

\- Hey, wait up! Where are you going?  
You stopped and turned.  
\- Where? Michael asked again.  
\- Home?  
\- No-no-no… you’re coming with me.  
\- Are you serious? you asked because you could not really believe it. You had more like assumed that he had just said it to get Garret and Emily off your back. They really did not want you to spend the holidays alone because they were a little afraid that you would feel sad and lonely.  
\- Why do you ask that?  
\- I appreciate that you said that… back there… you began and nodded at the house. Michael tilted his head and looked puzzled.  
\- I mean… I know they worry. I really don’t want them to. you said and kicked snow as you shifted your gaze from the house of your shared friends to him and smiled, but the smile carried a deep undertone of sadness. He had never seen you so… honest.  
\- Why do they worry? he asked.  
\- Because I am a hopeless romantic, doomed to roam endless first dates until I either lose all hope for mankind and give up or… you answered and pursed up your lips.  
\- … shoot my brains out after one… fucked up, below average… waste of time. you tried to lift up the mood by joking.  
\- Well… Fortunately you have to suffer through one more first date… and then there will be the second one followed by the third… he said and walked closer. He kept going through the numbers until he was standing right in front you.  
\- Do you really mean that?  
\- Yes. I do mean that. Spend the Christmas with me and let me show you that I am not a rude, self-absorbed, inconsiderate jerk. Then if you’ll like… me… you’ll let me to take you out for a date. And it will be above average, but… just barely above the average. he said with a sincere tone, the last part however was a joke.  
You were quiet for a moment as you stared at the sky. The light made your eyes sparkle as you smiled a little. Small hopeful smile spread on your face.  
\- Unless of course, you’d rather continue with the recipe that you have tried to make work so far…  
\- Nah… I think I’m missing the right ingredients and-uhm-it’s time for some changes. you answered after taking a deep breath of sub-zero London air. You shifted your eyes to Michael who was still standing in front of you. Suddenly there was a knock on the window. Michael turned his head to see where the sound was coming from and he saw Garret and Emily waving at the window. Michael raised his hand and waved back while saying with a barely audible voice  
\- I think it would be a good time to go, do you agree?  
You raised your hand and waved your friends as well. You smiled casually at them and said “yep”.

You followed Michael to his car and got in. Your hands were freezing and you rubbed them together as Michael tried to start the car. Finally, after many attempts the car started and he put the heater on immediately. He drove carefully on the slippery, snow covered streets and then finally got to a road that had been cleared from the snow.  
Michael lived in a tall, modern apartment building, in the top floor. He escorted you to the elevator and then to his apartment. It felt funny to be alone with him and you were slightly nervous. Sure you had slept in his arms the previous night but you had known that your friends had been in the next room the entire time.  
His apartment was fancy, modern and minimalistic, very stylish but still very inviting. The color scheme was well-thought through; black, dark gray, light gray, grayish blue and brown. The walls were white and there were large windows with a beautiful view. You did not dare to sit down or even touch anything because the apartment looked just like it had been taken out from a trendy, but classy, men’s magazine; “this is how you decorate your apartment if you’re rich and successful”.

\- Make yourself at home. he said and walked to the fridge. You looked around and sighed.  
\- What’ wrong? he asked and shifted his focus on you.  
\- Nothing… It’s just… wow…  
\- How can I make you a bit more comfortable?  
\- Throw a couple of magazines and clothes on the chairs… you chuckled.  
\- I see.  
\- You should see my place… It’s-uhm… Then you would know what I mean. you smiled.  
\- Uhuh? he commented and looked at you curiously. He poured you a glass of cider and opened himself a beer. Then he walked to you and offered you the cider. You took the glass and thanked with a shy smile on your face.  
\- I am sure I will like it. he continued. You sipped the drink and bit your lip, which you sometimes did when you were nervous.  
\- Would you feel more comfortable if I talked to you rudely? he asked. You dropped your head and laughed. Michael took the glass and put it on the table next to his beer. Then he put his hand on your jaw and guided you to look at him.  
\- Because, to be brutally honest with you, I’d rather talk to you nicely… and I am happy to strip and decorate this place with clothes if that makes you feel more at home. Just say the word…  
\- Maybe some music… I mean if you’re going to strip… you joked.  
\- Oh I knew you find me attractive… he mumbled as he leaned closer.  
\- Maybe a little…  
\- Just a little?  
\- Yeah…  
\- Well, I need to charm you with my awesome personality then. he spoke barely audible. He had leaned in to kiss you, but stayed just enough far not to touch you, except with his hand that was still cupping your face. You had closed your eyes some time ago, as well as he had, and now you were breathing in short, shallow breaths because you did not dare to break the moment with a deep inhale. You felt the warmth radiating from his body and his soft breath on your lips. You knew that if you moved even a tiny bit closer, your lips would touch his and the anticipation was killing you, or maybe it was the lack of air that was messing up with your head.  
Then finally his lips brushed yours, but just barely. His lips were much softer than you remembered, your mind was clouded and you could not wait anymore so you pressed your lips against his and hoped that he did not mind that you were so bold. He moved his hand from your cheek and sank his fingers into your hair. He rubbed your scalp as his lips explored yours. He wanted to learn what made your head spin and knees melt. And although he knew that it was quite early, he had not even been on a date with you, he wanted to make you forget all the previous jerks and frustrating dates. In order to do that he wrapped his arm around you and deepened the kiss.

When he released your lips you were having hard time to keep standing. It felt like you were almost hanging onto him to be able to keep your balance and you were sure that you would had fallen down onto the floor if he had let you go. Still you did not dare to breathe as deeply as you might had needed. He touched your nose with his and gently grabbed your hair to change the angle of your head. Then he pressed a brief kiss on your lips, so quickly that it was over before you had managed to react to it. He repeated that a couple of times and chuckled a little when you sighed with frustration.  
Your heart was pounding rapidly against your ribcage. It was about to burst or stop completely any second now, or that was what it felt like. He slipped his hand under your shirt and caressed the curve of your back, the touch of your hand on your skin made you feel tingly and sent shivers all over your body. Then he kissed you again until your phone rang. Michael drew back and let you answer it.

\- Oh… it’s my mom. you sighed and tried to normalize your breath before tapping the green icon on the phone screen.  
\- Mom, hi! you said and smiled. She asked if you were at the gym because you sounded like you were out of breath. You laughed and gave her an answer that did not really say anything too specific. You asked how they had celebrated the Christmas Eve but she was more interested in how you had been spending yours, if you were alone during the holidays.  
\- Actually I was invited to my friends house yesterday… uhuh… Yes! I was invited, I did not crash their Christmas, gosh! … Now? Well I am not there anymore…  
\- Say greetings to your mom from me. Michael said. Your mom heard his voice and could not help asking  
\- Who are you with? Is there a… man?  
\- Mom!  
\- I heard a man’s voice. Who is he?  
\- Fine, yeah… That was one Michael…  
\- Is he a special Michael? she asked. You glanced at Michael who was leaning onto a table and glancing through a magazine. He smiled when he recognized his name in the conversation.  
\- Maybe… too early to say, mom, please!  
\- Fine, fine… Wish him merry Christmas and-uhm… Give the poor guy some slack, you know that you’re a handful sometimes. she said.  
\- Well… that’s… nice! you laughed and hung up after saying goodbyes.

\- So… how was mom? Michael asked.  
\- She is fine… Told me to go easy on you because apparently I am too picky.  
\- Hard to please? he asked.  
\- Yep…  
\- Hm… in that case it is a good thing that I like challenges.  
\- Ha! You have no idea where you’re getting yourself into.  
Michael put on some music. You emptied your glass and followed him as he waltzed across the room.  
\- How about that dance? he asked and offered you his hand. This time you took it and for your surprise got pulled into a tight embrace. He tucked you backwards, as people did while dancing tango. His arm was behind your back and the other grabbed the back of your knee and raised the leg slightly. You knew that once again you were at his mercy; if he suddenly let you go, you would find yourself on the floor instantly. He caressed the back of your knee gently with his fingers, such strong hands yet so gentle touch.  
He lowered your knee as he pulled you to stand straight again. All that time he had been completely lost in your eyes as you were in his. Such beautiful, bright eyes that expressed different emotions so well. Yes, eyes were your thing. Some people liked asses, abs, pectoral muscles but your feet had always gone soft when there had been a pair of eyes that were beautiful and intense, yet kind and attentive.  
You spun a couple of times and returned to sway to the music with him. He held your hand with his and his other hand was holding you firmly but gently by your waist. He led well and you found yourself basically floating around the apartment without stepping on his toes even once. You had fun with the music and performed dramatic dance moves after you had relaxed a little. Then the song ended, Michael let you go otherwise but still held your hand. He bowed a little and raised your hand on his lips, never turning his gaze away from your eyes. He pressed a kiss on your knuckles and smiled.  
\- Oh my… I should had totally danced with you at the wedding. you stated and nodded your head as you mumbled “uhuh-yep-totally”. Michael chuckled. He mumbled “yeah, totally” in return. 

Suddenly he remembered the gift he had gotten for you and basically ran into the bedroom. You heard him going through some drawers and walked to the doorway.  
\- What are you doing? you asked.  
\- Here… he mumbled and took a small gift box from the closet. He walked to you and said  
\- Close your eyes.  
\- What? you asked, not sure if you had heard him right.  
\- Go on, close your eyes. he repeated. You rolled your eyes with a sigh but then closed your eyes as requested.  
\- Give me your hand. he said and when you did, he put the box on your palm.  
\- Now, open them.  
You opened your eyes and saw a small box that had been wrapped with deep red paper and had a silver colored ribbon.  
\- May I… op-  
\- Yes! he said and watched as you carefully opened the ribbon and then the wrapping. There was a dark blue box, flat, about the size of your palm. Michael took the box and opened it for you, he presented the content with such elegance that it alone was enough to make you feel appreciated. There was a necklace with a beautiful pendant, or more like a stone hanging from the chain. It was a colorless stone with magnificent sparkle. The chain and the setting were both made of white gold that glowed beautifully when light hit them. The style was very simple so the stone was in the spotlight.  
\- Is it…  
\- A diamond, yes.  
\- Oh-wow… you said and touched the stone softly with your fingertips. You were speechless.  
\- Do you like it? he asked since you were not saying anything.  
\- I do… I… wow… it’s gorgeous! But… Oh… wow… I cannot possibly accept-  
\- Nonsense! May I? he asked and took the necklace out from the box. You looked very puzzled and still very much speechless.  
\- But… I can’t… It must have cost a fortune…  
\- Nah… The X-men –franchise has been quite good to me, so you should not worry about it. May I see how it looks on you? he asked and before you managed to answer anything his hands where behind your neck and the clasp had been hooked. He caressed your neck with circular motion and then slowly slid his both hands on your cheeks and pressed a kiss on your forehead. You felt the stone with your fingers. The necklace was light enough so you did not feel it but it was still very, very beautiful.  
Michael drew back and looked at you.  
\- It fits you perfectly. he said and congratulated himself silently. Then he pulled you in front of the mirror in his dressing room and pulled your hair back as he stood behind you.  
\- Oh wow… It’s… You have an excellent taste Mr. Fassbender!  
\- So you like it?  
\- Yes!  
\- And you will wear it?  
\- All the time. you said and stared at yourself in the mirror. Michael smiled and walked into the kitchen, he was getting hungry and suggested that he would make some dinner. You answered that you would come and help in a moment. Then you stepped closer to the mirror and took a closer look at the gemstone as you repeated “all the time” silently.


	6. Go with the flow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You feel bad for your jerkish behavior and then end up singing to him.
> 
> This chapter gets a bit steamy... so in case you do not want to read something between fluff and not-quite-smut, then stop at ***
> 
> Thank you!

Now you felt slightly bad; the gift was too expensive since you had expected… no you had not expected anything, but when he had said that he had gotten you something you had thought that he had just bought you chocolate or something in the same scale of “not-a-freaking-diamond-necklace”. You had nothing to give him back, which felt wrong now. Well, as your defense you were able to state that you had not known that he was coming back and you would be spending the Christmas with him, and on top of it all, you had not had any idea of his attraction. Garret and Emily had kept that information from you and now you were feeling bad, bad for not having a gift for Michael, bad for “not getting it” sooner and bad for assuming that he was a jerk… Maybe he had gotten you the gift to prove to you that he was not like every guy you had been going out with. Oh that… you had also told him that you were actively going out with other guys when he had been in fact attracted to you himself. Yeah… but it was entirely his own fault! He could had said something… Yeah, said something after you had told him that he was a jerk. Yep… that.  
You walked out from the bedroom and into the kitchen. Michael turned to look at you and noticed that you were playing with the necklace. You looked like there had been something you wanted to say but did not quite know how to put it into words and for understandable sentences.

\- Hey… what’s wrong? he asked and leaned onto a kitchen counter that was between you two.  
\- I just… you said and tapped your nails against the surface nervously.  
\- Yes?  
\- You do realize that you don’t have to buy your way into my life, I mean if that’s what you want to… be part of. You know that, right?  
\- Yes… he answered but it sounded more like a question.  
\- I mean… I was a jerk. There, I’ve said it. you said and felt a little bit lighter. At least now he knew that you acknowledged it and were brutally aware of it.  
\- When were you a jerk exactly?  
\- Point out a moment when I wasn’t, it would be easier.  
\- Hm. Why does that bother you now?  
\- I never said I’m sorry.  
\- Well, if it makes you feel any better, I never said I’m sorry either.  
\- Yeah, you just got me an expensive gift, invited me to spend the Christmas with you… and even kept asking about me while you were away… Sure, you need to apologize.  
Michael kept staring at you with a puzzled look on his face. Then he shifted his gaze elsewhere and smiled just briefly, it really even wasn’t a real smile but more like a silent “hm”.  
\- You really fe-  
\- I really feel bad. you said and slammed your palms on the counter top.  
\- Is it the neckl-  
\- No! you stated immediately.  
\- It’s me… I see everything in completely different light now! I was just so caught up in my own head that I did not realize that I was being an asshole… even when you did not necessarily deserve it. Oh my gosh… I am the jerk. you mumbled to yourself, leaned onto the counter with your elbows and buried your face to your hands. You groaned and rubbed your forehead with your fingertips.  
\- I disagree. Michael said and put his hand on your head. He stroked your hair, and then slid his hand from your hair onto your hand and then under your chin to guide you to raise your head up again.  
\- Do you really? you asked. He smiled and brushed your lips with his thumb.  
\- Yes. he said and continued stroking your lower lip.   
\- Thank you. you whispered and smiled a little. You took his hand and ran your thumb on his knuckles. Then you lifted it on your lips and planted a soft kiss on it.  
\- Fresh start. he said and walked on your side of the counter. He wrapped his arms around you and pressed your head against his chest. You wrapped your arms around him and breathed in his scent. You liked his cologne very much, it suited him well.  
\- I really like the way you feel. he murmured into your year. He mumbled something about dinner and kissed your forehead before letting you go. He started to prepare dinner with your help. There was a lot of laughter and even his apartment did not feel so strange anymore. Suddenly you remembered that you had a few tickets in your purse to your bands gig. You played occasionally in small bars and not just at weddings anymore. You decided that even though it was a lame-ass-gift, it was better than nothing.

When Michael was not looking you got a ticket from your bag and folded a kind of an envelope from the red wrapping paper and closed it with the ribbon. He returned into the living room where you were sitting, on his minimalistic black leather sofa. When he came to sit next to you, you gave the envelope to him. You were sitting kind of sideways on the edge of the sofa so you faced him. He turned to sit the about same way so he was facing you.  
\- I’m sorry… I did not really anything else to wrap it with so… you mumbled embarrassed as he opened the ribbon. He read the ticket through while you continued mumbling  
\- The night is on me, drinks, snacks…   
\- Is this your band… playing at not-wedding?  
\- Yeah… We perform nowadays also at not-weddings sometimes, usually just in small pubs or… bars… I know it’s lame…  
\- No… it’s not lame.  
\- You can totally decide not to come… You would not miss anything, to be honest… except the free drinks and snacks.  
\- I will come. Certainly! I was not really paying attention at the wedding so I am rather excited to hear what you’ve got.  
\- You’re making fun of me…  
\- No-no-no… I would actually like to hear you singing right here and now.  
\- Here and now?  
\- I can mimic the synthesizer, if I know the song. You still sing covers?  
\- We do…  
\- So… what you say?  
\- You’re serious?  
\- Yep. Stage is yours. he said and pointed at the open floor.  
\- No, I cannot! you laughed.  
\- Why! You perform to hundreds of pe-  
\- I wouldn’t say hundre-  
\- Not the point… It’s just me here.  
\- Yeah, just the world famous actor… Sure, no pressure. you chuckled and dropped your head. You felt Michael moving closer until he was sitting right in front of you, his knee touching yours. He sank his fingers in your hair on the both sides of your head and guided you to look at him. He leaned in, almost close enough to kiss you but he did not press his lips on yours.  
\- You do not really care who I am, do you? Names and titles, all irrelevant.   
You had closed your eyes when he had leaned closer but now you opened them. You knew he was right; you had not cared about who he was, not after you had met him the first time. Then you had given him hard time, which he had not expected. He had assumed that you would be just another fangirl, especially when Garret had mentioned him that you liked his movies.  
\- No… you whispered and explored his eyes. They looked gray in that light, very icy but yet soft, almost like two fine gemstones that sparkled as light hit them. He stared into your eyes intensely. Your eye color was the most beautiful color he had seen and he liked shape of your eyes and your long lashes that were also very beautiful even without makeup. He liked the way your eyebrows framed your eyes and emphasized your expressions. And you lips, oh yes, so soft and even naturally rosy, especially right after being kissed. In his opinion they were just the right amount of plump and you had the most perfect cupids bow.  
\- Please. One song. he whispered.  
\- Alright. you answered silently and smiled. However you did not stand up but decided to sing sitting close to him. You drummed your knee for a moment with your eyes closed as you imagined the band playing the intro. Then you opened your eyes and started with an almost inaudible voice

It's raining, it's pouring  
A black sky is falling  
It's cold tonight  
You gave me your answer,  
Goodbye,  
Now I'm all on my own tonight

When the big wheel starts to spin,  
You can never know the odds,  
If you don't play you'll never win.  
We were in heaven you and I,  
When I lay with you and close my eyes,  
Our fingers touch the sky.

I'm sorry baby,  
You were the sun and moon to me,  
I'll never get over you, you'll never over me.  
I'm sorry baby,  
You were the sun and moon to me,  
I'll never get over you, you'll never over me.

You held back and lost out,  
You gave in to reach out,  
And walk away  
A final embrace you won't turn,  
I won't chase,  
Nothing more to say

When the big wheel starts to spin,  
You can never know the odds,  
If you don't play you'll never win.  
We were in heaven you and I,  
When I lay with you and close my eyes,  
Our fingers touch the sky.

I'm sorry baby,  
You were the sun and moon to me,  
I'll never get over you, you'll never over me.  
I'm sorry baby,  
You were the sun and moon to me,  
I'll never get over you, you'll never over me.

After you had managed to shake off the nervousness, you really got into the song and lived it. There were parts that you sang very silently, so you sounded like you had been full of regret and sorrow and then some parts you sang with a louder voice and a longing smile on your face. Your voice was soft and beautiful but it sounded also haunting yet a little rough as it echoed in his apartment. Then there was a small silence as you drummed your knee with your eyes closed as you laid rhythm for the second verse. When you sang it, your voice was quite silent again and some words faded away into whispers, like you had been afraid to say those words and the hurt had been too near still. The second time that you sang about fingers touching the sky, you encouraged your mind and ran your fingers softly from his eyebrows down onto his chin and brushed his lips with your thumb just barely touching. In the end you leaned a little bit backwards and straightened your back so you managed to end the song with that same dark echo.  
Michael was silent when you finished the song. He stared at you with a fascinated look on his face which made you blush, yes, you might had gone a little over the top with the dramatics but you loved the song very much but had not performed it in front of the crowd yet. Your band had been practicing a new set and the gig, where you had just invited Michael, was the first time you were performing the new cover-songs. Just as you were about to start talking he leaned in and kissed you.

\- I should had paid attention at the wedding. he said with his forehead pressed against yours.  
\- We don’t really sing songs like that at weddings.  
\- So this is more “bar-material”? he asked. You chuckled silently and smiled.  
\- Whatever it was, it was… beautiful. Brutally heartbreaking.  
\- You’re making fun of m-  
\- No… Seriously, from a performer of fine arts to another; it was beautiful. he said with an admiring tone and kissed you again. This time he shifted himself and pushed you to lay down on the sofa. He hovered above you and then carefully lowered himself to lay on top of you. He found your hand and crossed his fingers with yours, pressed them on his lips and then pressed it gently above your head, against the cool leather. That move “forced” him to lower his chest on yours and you to allow him to lay between your legs.  
\- This would be so much easier in bed. he mumbled just before he pressed his lips against yours. The way he kissed you, the way he moved himself against you, his entire being captured you completely and turned your rational brain into a lovesick mush. He got off the sofa and pulled you to stand. Then he grabbed the hem of your long sleeved shirt, pulled it over your head and threw it onto the floor. He wanted to be able to caress your arms and shoulders without anything covering the skin. He kissed your neck as he led you into his bedroom.

***

 

Michael pushed you to lay down on your back, sideways on the bed. You grabbed his shirt and pulled him to kiss you. He slid his hand behind your back and with one nudge he lifted you up and pushed you further onto the bed. Then he crawled on the bed on his all fours as he grinned at you. The intense look on his face made your heart beat faster. You wrapped your leg around his upper thighs and pressed him closer. He carefully put his weight on you but supported himself with his elbows. You caressed his jaw with a smile on your face. The look on Michaels face was a mixture of dangerous and safe. It was just the right kind of charming; a little bit mischievous but still gentleman-like.  
Michael took your hand and pressed a kiss on your knuckles. Then he pressed it against the mattress and repeated the same with your other hand. You raised your head to kiss him and your wish was granted. He pressed his lips firmly on yours and explored then with such dedication. The kiss was slow and intimate, he moved his hips against yours in the same pace which was enough to make your imagination run wild. Every move made you feel electrified and therefore you intensified his movements by pressing him closer to you in the same rhythm with your legs.  
His lips moved perfectly against yours. It was almost like he had been able to read your mind and kiss you just the way that excited and pleased you the most. Suddenly he drew back, nibbled your lower lip few times and chuckled.

\- You know, if we keep moving like this, I’ll get hard and that would be awkward. he stated and grinned.  
\- Well… it depends. Not if that’s where we’re aiming at… is it?  
\- I don’t know. I am not aiming at anything. Are you?  
\- Just going with the flow… you whispered.  
\- It is a good flow…   
\- Would be a shame to stop it… wherever it might lead us.  
\- I like the way you think. So… what does the flow say about my shirt?  
\- It has to go. you whispered.  
\- Well… in that case, yours too.  
Michael raised up on his knees and pulled you to sit. He kissed you and slowly pulled your top up and over your head. He felt the skin of your back and sides gently as you slid your hands under his shirt and caressed his muscles before pulling the shirt off. You reached to kiss his chest that was radiating sweet warmth and his scent which was intoxicating; a perfect mixture of him and his cologne. He stroked your hair and then gently guided you to lay down on the mattress that was covered with his blanket. The linens of his bed were made of fabric that was highest quality and felt amazing against your skin. The temperature in his bedroom was lower than in the other rooms and you got Goosebumps as you lay down on your back waiting him to join you.  
He took his time admiring you at first, sitting on his knees with your legs on his both sides. He bent down and kissed your stomach and slowly got higher while pressing soft kisses and tracing your sides with his fingertips. It tickled slightly and made you chuckle. He was just under your bra and smiled against your skin before continuing higher, feeling him smile and blowing warm air on your cooled skin sent shivers down your spine. He kissed your chest and the area of your collarbones, keeping only on the areas that were not covered with your bra, before kissing your neck and finally your lips. You explored his back, memorized every inch of it and how he responded to your touch.  
He was moving his hips again against you. You wrapped your legs around him to allow him get closer, the way he moved felt amazing. Then he rolled on top of him and suddenly you sat on his lap bent down to kiss him. You drew back, nibbled his lower lip a couple of times and then kissed his shoulder before straightening your back. Michael put his hands on your waist and massaged it gently. He slid his hands on your hips and on your thighs. He caressed your thighs and knees through your stockings while you concentrated to memorize his chest and how he liked to be touched. 

Suddenly he sat up and wrapped his arms around you. He felt the skin of your back and kissed the corner of your mouth just as he asked  
\- Is this too fast?  
You cupped his face and looked deep into his eyes. Your mind was clear, you were calm, totally in control of your actions.  
\- No… This feels right, doesn’t it? you whispered.  
\- I suppose… it is good to practice before starting the dating-thing. he mumbled as a joke.  
\- Ha-ha! Do share the logic behind that notion.  
\- Well… I know women give points, by which they decide whether the guy has any chances or not… So, my logic is that if I know the basics of making you feel good… then I most likely will not fuck up later and lose points.  
\- Points!?  
\- I know you’re keeping score as well, you will not be able to convince me about the opposite. I know that my score must be quite high… good cook, awesome kisser, generous; hence the Christmas present, I was a total gentleman last night…  
\- Uhuh? you chuckled and he joined you.  
\- If I’ll prove to you before the first date that I am also about an average lover… I am pretty sure you’ll call me after the first date. he joked. You burst into laughter and mumbled “average lover” as you laughed.  
\- But on a more serious note, as you said… this feels right. he continued with a serious look on his face. You smiled calmly and brushed your nose against his.   
\- Still going with the flow? he asked. You mumbled “yes” and kissed his softly. He caressed your back and opened the hooks of your bra. You let him go for a moment as he slid them off. Then you wrapped your arms around him, he did the same and kissed you until he had to get some air. When he did, he rolled you back against the mattress and continued kissing your swollen lips with hunger. He caressed your jaw and then explored your freshly exposed parts with soft strokes and brushes.  
You reached down to open his belt as a sign of what you wanted him to do. He stopped moving and parted his lips from yours.  
\- Are you sure? There is no hurry…  
\- Yes… as long as you’ll call me the morning after.  
\- Oh… remind me to ask for your number then. I will phone-harass you, day and night. he mumbled against your neck. You laughed loudly which caused your body to shake against his. He drew back and smiled widely at you.  
\- You are… incredible (Y/N).  
The wide smile that made your face shine at that moment was enough to tell him that you thought the same thing about him.

Michael got rid of his jeans, and pulled away your skirt and stockings which got stuck to your ankles. That made you laugh again but your laughter died soon as you realized where this was going. You felt a little nervous because you never did anything this intimate so soon. You breathed in and out slowly and stared at charming man who was staring back at you. He brushed your ankle and slid his hand all the way up to your hip as he returned to kiss you.  
When he lowered himself onto you, he felt familiar and you were no longer nervous, only excited but still surprisingly calm. He crossed his fingers with yours again and smiled before drowning you into his warmth and an intense kiss again. You let yourself go, all your doubts and worries and concentrated on feeling how his hand caressed you, gently and with such consideration that it felt like he had noticed every time when you shook out of pleasure.  
His hand reached to caress you, getting you ready for him as he was ready for you already. You whispered into his ear that what he was doing felt incredible and let small moans escape your lips as he moved. He pressed soft kisses on your neck, cheeks and collarbones as he gave you space to breathe. He returned to stare into your eyes with an admiring smile on his face when you felt the world fading away and the only thing that existed was the closeness to someone and letting that someone to take care of you. When you returned back from your heights you signed him to remove the remaining clothes and as he had placed himself between your legs, you whispered into his ear “go with the flow” and smiled.  
Michael engaged your lips into an intense kiss as he slowly entered you. He moved slowly and filled you up both physically and mentally. He was there with every cell of his body, with every spark of his being. You nibbled his lower lip and rubbed his leg with the sole of your foot. He moved his hips with such control, like he had had all the time in the world and like his sole purpose had been to be as close to you as possible. Every sigh and moan made you to forget the surrounding world as you caressed his sides and then pressed your hand on his heart. It was beating fast against your palm. The feeling made you smile mesmerized and then you wrapped your arms around him and locked his lips into an intense, intimate and completely engaging kiss.  
You couldn’t hold back anymore. You moaned and gasped as you got lost into him and the fulfilling satisfaction again. You smiled against his shoulder as he quickened his pace to allow himself to reach the same. Then he slowed down and drew back to gaze deep into your eyes. A smile appeared on his face when he saw you smiling as well. Neither of you said anything for a moment.  
You blushed as he brushed the runaway locks off your face. He traced your jaw and collarbones with his fingertips and reached to kiss your forehead. After laying there for a moment it started to get cold and had to get dressed. Suddenly Michael took your hand and asked  
\- You will stay the night, right?  
You smiled and nodded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YrBHkJUf3A


	7. I like you... very much.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You spend the evening as well as the night at Michaels place.

You followed Michael with your gaze as he walked in his apartment with a towel around his hips. He had taken a quick shower and was looking for a towel for you. You were standing by the bathroom door waiting and thinking about the whole thing. Suddenly he put his fingers under your chin and raised your head a little. You recoiled from your thoughts and shifted your attention on him.  
\- What are you thinking about? he asked and looked at you intensely.  
\- Mostly you. you answered and chuckled. He leaned closer and pressed a soft kiss on your lips.  
\- Good. he mumbled and gave you the towel as well as a pair of boxers so you had something fresh to wear. Your tubetop did not smell so you had decided to wear it, it was winter so you did not sweat and the top had come off before you had even started to sweat previously. Besides you were returning home tomorrow anyway so it had to do.  
You took a quick shower and then after drying yourself a little you came out from the bathroom with the towel wrapped on your hair. Michael was just preparing snacks because he had suggested that you would watch a movie with him before getting some sleep. You leaned to the kitchen counter dressed to your top and his boxers that were almost like short shorts for you. You took the towel off and asked where you could put it to dry. He pointed at a chair and you hung it on the back of it. Your hair was completely all over the place, partially covering your face but in his opinion it made you look sweet.

\- So tell me… Do men also keep score? you asked and flashed a wide smile. Michael shifted his gaze from the snack-plate into your eyes and laughed mysteriously.  
\- Oh-you do! you stated and looked at him with a look that said “come on, let’s hear it”. He shook his head as he kept laughing and then winked his eye at you.  
\- Come on, you can tell me. you said and ran your fingertips on the cool counter top. It was made of fine stone and it felt smooth against your skin.  
\- Fine! I do make a mental list of pros and cons and then decide to call or not to call.  
\- So… what does your list say about me?  
\- I never kiss and tell.  
\- Oh, I have to guess then. Well… Hm… Pros; smart and very funny.  
\- True, important qualities both. Considerate, talented and warm.  
\- Well thank you.  
\- I cannot say anything about your cooking abilities, yet, but you are a pretty decent kisser.  
\- Pretty decent-huh?  
Michael winked his eye at you.  
\- So how about those cons?  
\- I was not done with the pros!  
\- Oh… Never mind me, do continue, please.  
\- I like your flow and I don’t mean just in bed, which was pretty incredible actually, but in everything you do.  
\- Oh sod it! Keep that going on and you’ll make me blush.  
\- Is that a bad thing? I like seeing you… flushed.  
\- So the cons then. Pick your words wisely. I am wearing your pants so if you piss me off, I will walk out from that door and you will never see your boxers again. you joked. Michael laughed.  
\- You should look at yourself slightly less critically because you’re stunning, inside out. If a guy is worried whether you’ll get home safely, he is not trying to pick a fight or annoy you but…  
\- Oh…  
\- Or if he gets you a gift, or saves you from the nosy, overly-worrying friends… Then he is finding you pretty irresistible. Men do not have the strength and stamina to pretend “Mr. Nice” for a long time, you know, unless they actually care about you... and in that case it is not pretending.

\- Oh! you said and raised your finger as you remembered something.  
\- What is it?  
\- I forgot to give tickets to Garret and Emily!  
\- Are you inviting them as well?  
\- Well… They’re dear friends. I was supposed to invite them anyway… You Mr. Fassbender on the other hand are the one who is “crashing the party”. Anyway… Garret and Emily, yes… Slightly nerve-wrecking sometimes but then again, I am lucky to have them in my life.  
\- Yes, they are something alright. Especially now that they got married.  
\- But that’s the thing, I think. They match each others crazy…  
\- They got it right. he commented and nodded.  
\- Yeah…  
\- Do you still think that you never do, or never will? he asked.  
\- Isn’t it a little early for me to change my opinion about such a great matter that defines my entire existance or... the love-life... more like lack of it? Or are you suggesting that I have lately encountered a reason to change my opinion?  
\- Hey, you’re the one who’s jumping into conclusions; I did not mean anything specific, like you and me, just a rhetorical qu-  
\- Haa-haa! You’d better be joking or I will take some points from your score. you exclaimed and grinned at him. Michael looked at you with a mysterious look on his face. He walked on your side of the kitchen counter and pulled you tightly against his body. You sighed when he did that. He removed the wet hair off your face and brushed your lips with his before pressing them against you. His lips tasted heavenly and the way he pushed you to stand against the kitchen counter just made you feel… safe. You couldn’t had escaped him and to be honest you did not even want to.  
\- I like the sound of “you and me” though. he said and rubbed your arms in a very calming way.  
\- I like you. you answered.  
\- Very much. you added. He engaged your lips into a kiss again and wrapped his arms around you. You did the same and got completely lost into his warm embrace.

\- So which movie? you asked when he let you go and took the plate into the living room. You helped him to carry drinks and secretly admired the way his pajama-pants hung loosely from his hips and the fact that he was not wearing a shirt… Yes… It was making it hard to concentrate your focus on having a conversation with him and not on staring at his tanned, strong, well-defined… you listed the adjectives, that described his torso, in your mind.  
\- Let’s see… Something thrilling so I can then do the most clichéd arm-stretching –move when it’s getting obvious that you need me protecting from the monsters on the screen.  
\- Are you suggesting that I do not know the difference between the reality and movies? But hey sure, let’s watch a thriller so I can then comfort you when you’ll get nightmares.  
\- Ha-ha! Deal!  
Michael picked a thriller and for your surprise, no it really wasn’t a surprise, he did the arm-stretching –move during the opening scene. You snuggled closer to him and leaned your head against his shoulder. At some point he took a blanket and spread it on you both. He kept sliding his hand on your arm and kept you close and even closer during the scary scenes. However even the scary scenes did not keep you from yawning occasionally, you were getting quite tired.  
The movie was quite predictable and made you laugh in the wrong places but somehow it did not surprise Michael at all. You were just the type of person who was comfortable with laughing at bad jokes, at yourself, in the wrong places. He considered himself to be somewhat the same and he also considered himself fortunate for meeting someone like you.  
The movie ended and you helped him to carry the empty glasses as well as the empty snack-plate back into the kitchen. Then you tried to wash your teeth with your finger and Michaels toothpaste before returning into his bedroom where he was making the bed ready.  
\- Please… he said and gestured you to crawl in. You picked a side and then lay down. You rolled on your stomach as you tried to find a comfortable position and after finding one, you wrapped your arm around a pillow which smelled, just like the rest of his bed, of him.  
\- Asking permission to enter the bed-area. you heard Michael saying with a soft tone. You chuckled lazily and answered  
\- Permission granted.  
He lay down on the other side of the bed on his side and kept staring at you as you fought the need to close your eyes. “May I come closer?” you heard him asking. You replied with a barely audible “yeee” which was supposed to be either “yes” or “yeah” but you were too tired to move your mouth that much. He moved closer and removed the pillow from your embrace.  
\- Why would you hug a pillow when you can hug the real-deal? he asked and worked his way under your arm. You had your eyes closed already but a small smile appeared on your otherwise relaxed face. He decided to tease you a little by requiring an answer  
\- Am I right? he asked. Your answer was again the same “yeee” but this time it was even shorter and quieter. He brushed your runaway lock behind your ear and brushed your cheek with his fingertips. You looked cute and absolutely loveable when you slept. So peaceful and beautiful. He did not want to disturb your sleep anymore so he just wished you goodnight, slid his hand behind your back and got so close that your noses were almost touching.

You did not usually sleep too well in unfamiliar places but this time you slept the entire night without waking up even once. When you woke up Michael was still sleeping, however it was still quite early. You smiled and brushed your fingers through his short hair. A day ago you wouldn’t had dared to do anything like that, hell, a day ago you were about to storm out from the bed immediately when you realized that you were in the same bed with him. Two days ago you wouldn’t had even dreamed about being in the same bed with him.  
Two days ago you had been over him, somewhat at least but now you were watching him sleeping his arm wrapped around you, sleeping so close that your noses almost touched. It was almost too good to be true and you had to pinch yourself just to make sure that you weren’t actually dreaming. You weren’t.  
Michael smiled with his eyes closed as a reaction for your actions; you stroked his hair, traced his ear with your fingertips and even pressed your lips softly against his.  
\- Good morning. you whispered.  
\- It is a very good morning indeed. he mumbled with his eyes still closed.  
\- I’m sorry, did I wake you up? you whispered knowing that the answer most likely was “yes”. He groaned playfully and pulled you to rest your head on his chest as he rolled on his back. He mumbled something about being too early and suggested that you would continue sleeping still, even for ten minutes. You yawned and closed your eyes as you listened to the steady sound of his heartbeat.  
After three hours he really woke up. He stroked your hair and caressed the skin of your upper back, you however had managed to fall asleep. Then you recoiled suddenly and exclaimed  
\- I told you! No, I don’t want monkeys on toast!

There was a silence for a couple of seconds and then Michael started to laugh. You mumbled “oh shit” when you realized that you had said that aloud.  
\- Excuse me? he asked as soon as he had calmed down a little.  
\- Don’t ask… I don’t know. you answered and pressed a kiss on his chest. You did not remember what you had been dreaming about before you had suddenly woken up. He kissed your forehead and rolled on his side to face you as you first lay down on your side and leaned your head to your hand.  
You chit-chatted for a while and then Garret called Michael. Michael mumbled “here we go” and answered the phone.

\- Hi Garret. he said and mimicked to you “blaablaablaa” with his mouth as Garret continued talking. Then Michael decided to put him on speaker and showed you a “shush” gesture as he winked his eye at you.  
\- So… How is your Christmas going, Fassy-boy? he asked. You covered your mouth with your hand as you burst into laughter at that nickname. Michael put his hand over yours and told you silently “stop it”.  
\- It is going very well, mate, waking up…  
\- With (Y/N)?  
He looked at you and then whispered “shall I tell him?” You mimicked “I don’t know”.  
\- Mate? Garret asked after a silence.  
\- Yep, I’m here.  
\- Is something going on? Is (Y/N) not there spending the Christmas with you? Oh, Emily… She is not there…  
\- What do you mean “she’s not there”? Of course she’s there… I will call (Y/N) right now. Emily said and walked further away although her voice was still audible. Your phone was on mute in your bag. You got off the bed when you heard Emily saying to Garret that  
\- She’s not answering.

You closed the bedroom door and ran to answer your phone.  
\- Oh, Emily! Good morning! you said and tried to mimic a morning-husky-voice.  
\- Are you home?  
\- Yeah, yeah…  
\- Not with Michael?  
\- No… you answered and tried to keep your voice as silent as possible.  
\- Is someone there with you? Is Michael there?  
\- No… not…  
\- So where is he?  
\- Somewhere… I don’t know…

In the meantime Michael continued his conversation with Garret.  
\- What’s wrong with you Fassy-boy! (Y/N) is the finest woman you can find… Did you two screw it up already?  
\- Garret… It is going well… I think she likes me.  
\- Way to go, mate, but why isn’t she with you then?  
\- It is complicated… She is not… here… with me. Michael answered and emphasized the word “here”.  
\- Here-here?  
\- Yeah…  
\- In the same room?  
\- Mate, not a word! She is talking with Emily on the phone.  
\- And how do you know that?  
\- Well… I heard Emily saying that she’ll call her…  
\- Emily said that she did not answer.  
\- Oh? Michael commented with a surprised tone.  
\- I thought she was talking with her in living r… he continued and realized that he had slipped something out.  
\- Emily! (Y/N) is at Michaels place! he heard Garret shouting.

In the meantime in living room.  
\- What do you mean you don’t know? Emily asked you.  
\- Well… He is not here and…  
\- Are you not spending Christmas together after all? she asked and then shouted to Garret  
\- Is you friend Michael completely mental? Left (Y/N) alone! Bloody hell, why isn’t she with him! I specifically told you Garret to make sure that (Y/N) will not spend the Christmas alone.  
\- Emily… Emily… It’s fine… I am…

\- You’re at Michaels place! she said suddenly.  
\- What? you said and Emily hung up. Michael walked to the living room with the phone that was on the speaker at the both ends.  
\- You cheeky little monkeys! Why didn’t you just say that you’re both there? Emily asked.  
\- Well…  
\- It is none of our business, Emily… If they want to keep it as a secret then we should let them… Garret said to Emily.  
\- How about a double-date, couples’ dinner? he asked suddenly.  
\- Sure… Michael answered and asked for a confirmation from you with his facial expression.  
\- Yeah… Let’s settle the date after the holidays, okay? Bye! you asked, said goodbyes and then walked to stare out from the window. Michael put the phone on not-speaker and continued chatting with Garret for a moment.  
\- Yes… I like her too. Very much. he said and shifted his eyes to you. He smiled at you although you were currently staring into the gray horizon and then said goodbyes before hanging up.  
\- So… that was interesting. you stated and turned to face Michael who walked to you with a mysterious smile on his face.  
\- Oh come on, it was not that bad! he exclaimed and took your hand. He pulled you back to bed where you continued your conversation which led into an intense making out –session.


	8. The week between Christmas and NYE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You keep spending time together.

It was the time for you to go home. You checked the bus schedule with your phone, apparently the public transportation had returned to normal, well, almost but there were many connections and routes for you to take. You had never been in that part of London so you had to check Google maps your location on the map so you had some idea where everything was and where you were heading.  
\- What are you doing? Michael asked. He was standing behind your back and looking over your shoulder.  
\- I am just checking the busses.   
\- Right, why?  
\- Well… It is time for me to go home.  
\- Oh, sure. Let me just get some things-  
\- What… things?  
\- Toothbrush… you know, staying-over –things.  
You looked at Michael, clearly surprised. You had not expected him to come with you and you couldn’t even remember if your apartment was in any condition to receive guests.  
\- Right…  
\- Christmas isn’t over.  
\- No, no it’s not…  
\- So, therefore I am coming with you… unless of course you do not want me to.  
\- No, it’s not that… I just don’t remember if I my apartment is any shape…  
\- What do you mean?  
\- You know, it could be a mess.  
\- So? If it bothers you, then I’ll help you to clean it. No big deal!  
\- O-okay…  
Michael kissed your forehead and got a bag from the closet in the entrance hall. He filled it with few clothes, his toothbrush, razor and aftershave, deodorant and so on. In few minutes he was all set. He asked you where your apartment was, checked the route quickly from the map and then you both left his apartment. He walked you to his car and opened the door for you.   
There was not much traffic so it was a quick ride. He parked the car near your apartment building and followed you curiously in. You lived in the 5th floor and the view that you apartment had was not that great. You opened the door and motioned Michael to go in.  
\- Actually, wait here for a sec! you said when he was about to enter your home. You stopped and stormed in to check if the apartment was alright. You collected few clothes and threw them into the closet. You were about to go and say to Michael that he could now come in but when you turned around, he was already in the entrance hall. He took off his shoes and jacket and looked around him curiously. Your apartment was small but cozy. You had a very specific taste about colors and the style of furniture. There was a small bedroom, a kitchen and a living room. No separate dining area but you really did not need one.   
\- So… this is it.  
\- Yeah… I now understand what you meant by magazines and cloth-  
\- Come on! It’s not that… bad.  
\- I’m just teasing you. It’s great… I like it. he mumbled into your ear. You changed your clothes and put the washing machine on, then you put on a little bit of makeup and checked out your fridge. You were quite well prepared so this time your fridge was actually full. You kept talking with your guest as you prepared dinner and then you watched a movie.

The dinner was a success, fortunately. You wanted to show Michael that he was not the only great cook in the house and he even liked the movie that you selected. It made you very happy. He mentioned that although he loved spices he did not have that wide range of them at home so he usually used only salt and pepper with few additional fresh herbs. You decided to remember that and use the knowledge for your benefit later in a way or other.  
The next day you went out for a walk. The snow had not melted away so it was a perfect time for a small snowball fight. Your laughter echoed in the park nearby as you ran to take cover from Michaels attack. You had managed to hit him right in his chest just a moment earlier and he wanted to pay you back such shot. He caught you but instead of throwing a snowball at you he tacked into the snow bank and dropped a handful of powder snow on your face.  
You kept laughing but your laughter was soon muffled with his lips. The snow stung your face but your mind was kept busy by the lips that devoured yours so deliciously. It felt like he had been kissing you forever and with that time he had learned to kiss you just the right way. It was sweet and modest at some point and then grew into a passionate kiss. And the way he guided you through the crowds when you were walking somewhere, everything he did, every single gesture no matter how small, made you feel appreciated.

The days passed like this until it was morning of the last day of the year and you had to go to work. You were supposed to start working in January but apparently there was a creative-chaos with the most important client so they needed someone able to take care of the situation. The person was you.  
However you had planned to spend the New Years Eve together. Michael had invited you to his place and the plan was to watch the fireworks from his apartment because he had the fantastic view over the city and the weather was going to be bad according to the forecasts anyway. You put on some music and stared into the horizon with a smile on your face.  
Michael walked to you and gave you a glass of sparkling wine. He put his hand on your back and stared at the view with you. He was preparing dinner and had just gotten the roast into the oven. After two hours it would be ready. You had prepared some appetizers beforehand that were waiting in the fridge to be served. Michael sipped a bit of the drink when he saw the first fireworks. It was early evening but some people had begun celebrating already.  
\- No toast? you exclaimed.  
\- Oh… True! Well… I raise my glass for the right ingredients.  
\- I am more than happy to drink to that! you answered and took a sip. The sparkling wine was quite dry but you were expecting that.  
\- When the dinner will be served?  
\- Oh madam, getting hungry, are we? he teased.  
\- Ha-ha! Slightly. Quite on the contrary that I had thought, it was a busy day at work and I had no time to eat lunch. you commented and wished that your stomach did not start making any loud noises in the meantime.  
\- That is too bad! Although it means that the wine will get in your head faster.  
\- And I will pass out before midnight? Yeah, great plan.  
\- It is a terrific plan because then I’ll leave you here to sleep and go out to party like normal people.  
You laughed although you were slightly worried at the same time that he was saying the truth as a joke. What if Michael had some amazing party that he was supposed to attend to with some amazing famous movie-friends? What if you were keeping him from his normal life? Your laughter died and your face got serious accidentally as you got lost in your thoughts.  
\- Hey…   
\- Or… We’ll eat dinner, like normal people, and then you’ll go out and I’ll go to this party that I was invited to…   
\- What party?  
\- A colleague is hosting…  
\- Oh, we can go there. If you want…  
\- No… I mean… If you have a party where you’re invited… I don’t want you to miss out because of me.  
\- Missing out what exactly?  
\- Your life… Stardom, I don’t know… Stuff that you normally do.  
\- Where is this coming from? Did I say or do something…  
\- No! You have been wonderful… I was just thinking that we have been spending an entire week together…  
\- And?  
\- That is quite a lot. You do not feel that it’s too much?  
\- No! Of course not! What are you talking about?  
\- Oh… Well… Uhm…   
\- Do you think it has been too much?  
\- No, not at all. More like pleasantly surprised about the easiness of spending time with you.  
\- Well good, because I am not going anywhere. So finish that drink and I will get you another one… Let’s get you a little relaxed. he said, put his glass on the table and slowly massaged your shoulders that were tensed from work anyway. His hands moved very skillfully on your shoulders and upper arms. He took your hand and pulled you to sit on the sofa in front of him. He kissed your neck and then moved his fingers with circular motion to massage the back of your head and also your forehead. 

Then he had to go and check the roast in the oven. He returned to the sofa with your glass filled with sparkling wine. He sat next to you and then motioned you to sit on his lap facing him. You put the glass away after sipping a few times and then sat on his lap, with your knees against the sofa on both sides of his thighs.  
He looked deep into your eyes and smiled in a calm way. You kept trying to guess what was going on in his head as he brushed your hair and tilted his head slightly, deep in his thoughts. He was breathing slowly in and out and so were you. Then he kissed you. Those familiar lips that knew exactly how to kiss you. Almost like he had been able to read your thoughts before you could even think them.  
You took his hands and tangled your fingers with his. You kept brushing his palms and he did the same as your hands kept searching new ways to hold each other. Just like your lips kept searching new ways to enjoy each other and show appreciation. You abandoned his hands and cupped his face. At first you had been quite nervous to touch his face or any other parts for that matter and you always had thought whether you should dare or not, but not anymore. Now you just followed your heart and the things just happened, just like life had been a big puzzle and now the pieces were moving into their right places and you did not have to bother your rational mind with unnecessary questions such as “is this what he wants, does this feel good?”

The kiss deepened and Michael moved his hands from your waist on your thighs. He stroked them gently and sometimes slid his hands on your lower back and pulled you closer. You caressed his shoulders and arms as you enjoyed the closeness. The flow. It was getting darker outside and the sky was filling up with fireworks. Suddenly an alarm rang. Michael had set it so he would not forget to take the roast out from the oven.  
You followed him into the kitchen and took the appetizer –salad –thing out from the fridge. You made somewhat beautiful portions and took them to the table. You had time to eat as the roast rested on the stow. The whole dinner was amazing. The salad was fresh and the roast was very… homey. As a dessert there were berries with vanilla ice cream and hot caramel sauce.  
You were happy, Michael looked very happy too. After the dinner you carried the chairs by the window and started to stalk fireworks. You gave them points according to how splendid they were. And then the year changed. You counted down the final seconds together and when it was midnight, he wrapped his arms around you and pressed your head against your chest.  
\- Happy New Year! he mumbled as he ran his fingers through your hair and planted a loving kiss on the top of your head. You stood there for a moment, staring at the sky that was filling with different colors and then slowly as the night progressed turned back into the usual dark night sky. You pulled him to kiss you and led him in to the bedroom where the flow was telling you to take him. Then slowly you undressed each other and let the moment lead you wherever you wanted to go.


	9. The couples' dinner and the first date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title kind of sums it up :D

Emily was very eager to get you to visit her and Garret as a couple. She was not worried that you would snatch Garret away from her but she realized that you two had a “history” so she felt much more relaxed knowing that you had Michael in your life. These thoughts she had never confessed to anyone, not even to Garret, mostly because she knew that her concern was completely unnecessary.  
She called you in the morning and suggested that you and Michael would come to have dinner to their place the day after tomorrow. You asked Michael if that was alright with him and after having a short chat about it, you called Emily and told her that the plan sounded good.  
You did not really want to leave Michaels bed, it was way too comfortable and warm but you also knew that tomorrow you had work and you had some things that you had to do, deadlines to meet and so on, therefore you left his apartment at 4PM and agreed to meet him tomorrow after work so you could go and get something for Emily and Garret. Luckily Michael managed to come up with a plan which suited you well, he knew that Garret and Emily liked both different kind of beers so you visited a brewery together and bought a dozen bottles of different kind of beers, from light to dark.  
Michael drove you home and came in to have some dinner with you. You ordered a pizza and watched a movie. He stayed the night and your heart ached when you had to leave him to sleep in your bed and leave for work yourself. You left him a note saying that he could eat anything he found in the fridge and treat the place as his home.  
The day at work was busy. Some of your co-workers had not done what they were supposed to so in other words your project was fucked. It annoyed you and you had to send Michael a message and cancel the lunch that you had planned to have together. He answered that it was alright and you agreed that he would now go home and pick you up 18:30 because the dinner was at seven.

He was on time like he always was. He drove to the suburb and parked the car near the house where Garret and Emily lived. You sat for a moment in the car and had a short discussion about the dinner.  
\- Do you think it will go alright?  
\- Of course it will! It’s Garret and Emily, are you worried?  
\- Well… I think they might be jumping ahead of things a little…  
\- A couples’ dinner? Yeah… Technically we have not even had our first yet.  
\- True…  
\- But don’t worry. It will be fine!  
Then he got out from the car, opened the door for you and helped you out. He took the gift beer-basket from the backseat and you walked hand in hand to the door, which was opened by Garret before neither of you managed to ring the bell. Emily had been spying on the window and announced your arrival as soon as she had seen Michaels car driving past their house.  
\- So good to see you! Garret exclaimed. You and Michael stepped into the entrance hall that smelled like delicious dinner. Emily came to greet you too and you both handed them the basket. They were flattered for such gift which suited them both very well.  
It was weird to be at your friends place as a couple. What did it mean anyway? “A couple”. Yeah sure you had been spending an awful lot of time together but still, you were not together-together. That was the thing that you were nervous about; what if you were going too fast? What if Michael thought that you were being too “into him” and too clingy? And to be honest, you did miss your own space a little since you had not gotten used to spending so much time with someone. These past 10 days you had been basically living together and you had been totally surprised how easy it had been.  
It was time for dinner. You sat down next to Michael and complimented Emily for amazing dinner, the smell at least was awesome.  
\- Thank you, but it was mostly Garret. she said and then began  
\- So… (Y/N) and Michael… What kind of plans do you have for the future?  
\- Uhm… Plans? I-I don’t know… I guess we’ll just… live our lives… you answered without really knowing what to say so the last part sounded more like a question than a statement.  
\- Yes… Although we have planned to get that dating-thing going on. Michael added. He shifted his hand from the table under it, on your knee and rubbed it.  
\- Have you gone out yet? Garret asked. He was pouring wine to everyone and Michael reminded him that you were working tomorrow and he had to drive you home because you came with the same car.  
\- Unless of course, you want to stay here Michael… I can always take the bus.  
\- What are you talking about? he chuckled but then turned his head so he could see your face. You smiled briefly. It was clear that there was something bothering you and you tried to behave in a less-couple-manner.  
\- Just… if you guys want to hang out… That’s all. you answered and flashed a wider smile.  
\- It will be your last-first-date then… are you nervous? Emily asked. You might had mentioned it casually as joke at some point that you would be so happy when you finally met the right guy and could stop going on the endless first dates.  
\- First dates are always a bit of a pain in the ass, aren’t they? Michael commented.  
\- Yeah… We’ll see. you said and chuckled a little.  
The dinner continued just as awkward as it had begun. Emily kept asking questions that were impossible to answer, mostly because you did not know what was going to happen after the first date and after the holidays. That was when your life returned back to normal. Who even knew when Michael had to leave again and how long he had to stay this time. But the reason why Emily kept asking those questions was her own insecurity. She wanted to make sure that your eyes were on Michael and not in his husband.  
When you were leaving you remembered the tickets. You gave them to Garret and said that it is the first time when you’ll be performing the new set. The gig was in 3 weeks and you would appreciate if he and his wife were there. Garret thanked for the tickets and asked Michael if he was coming. He answered with a nod and stated that he there was no way he would miss it.

It was getting late and Michael drove you home. He came to spend the night again and this time he left home at the same time when you left for work. He even drove you to the work place and then attended an interview later.  
It was the first night that you were going to be in separate places after getting together during the Christmas Eve. You had planned to go for a lunch tomorrow but it still felt strange and quite lonely be in the bed alone. You were rolling in your bed when your phone beeped.  
“Should I come there?”  
You chuckled. It was Michael.  
“I don’t think I will be able to sleep without you.”  
“Yeah… I know what you mean.” you answered but then there were no messages anymore. You reasoned that he might had fallen asleep anyway. It was well past 2 AM already. You however could not sleep. It was the stress from work and the questions that you did not have answers to. The morning came and you had managed to sleep for a couple of hours only. You stood in a cold shower and tried to wake up.  
Michael came to take you out for a lunch as you had agreed. However you had only time for a quick burger because the project deadline was tomorrow. He told you to not to worry so much and kissed you behind the corner before letting you get back to work. That evening you went to Michaels place with your laptop and unfortunately were forced to work the entire evening. At least you got to spend a few hours together before going to bed and that night you slept better than for a long time. You also got the chance to eat breakfast together which was awesome. It started your day so well that you felt invincible.

It was the first weekend of January. You had decided to have the first date then, on Saturday. You had decided together that you would make it as clichéd first date as you could, just so none of you felt sad to say goodbyes to the awkwardness of endless first dates. You were slightly nervous though because it was the first time you were going out with him. What if someone saw you together and the next day you had to read about it on tabloids.  
To avoid any embarrassments you used a generous time to get ready. You picked a dress that you had bought recently and had not worn yet. It was so new that it still had the tag on, which you almost forgot to cut away. You looked very beautiful with your face and hair done, in your new dress that complimented your body shape and the color was just right to make your eye color shine and it also complimented your skin tone.  
You had agreed to meet Michael downtown where you continued to his favorite restaurant. He was slightly early as were you. He knew that you hated waiting or getting late yourself. When you got to the restaurant he handed you a small box of chocolates. You chuckled.  
\- I did not know we were exchanging gifts. you said and handed him a small present. He opened it and it was a set of oriental spices. He glanced the spices through and looked impressed for the fact that you had remembered what he had said about spices, or more like about lack of them, earlier.  
\- So… (Y/N). What do you do for living?  
\- Really?  
\- Yeah! Go on, answer my questions now since this is the last time you’ll be answering them.  
\- Very well. I work with computers…  
\- That is interesting, what do you do? Hack… stuff?  
\- Sure! you said and laughed. Then you told him that you designed web-pages and were the content manager in the company that you were working in.  
\- Well that IS interesting. Any hobbies?  
\- Movies, music… I sing in a band.  
\- Oh, do you really?  
\- Yeah… I do! We perform at weddings, mostly, but also occasionally in small bars. How about you, Michael?  
\- No, I don’t sing at weddings.  
\- You don’t? Well, that’s a shame. It is so much fun. What was it that you do again?  
\- I am a brain surgeon.  
\- Really?  
\- Yeah…  
\- Performed any difficult operations lately?  
\- No… Nothing too serious. he chuckled but he was interrupted when a girl came to ask for his autograph. He gave it and you took a picture of her and Michael. Then the fan wished him all the best and left. She was clearly happy.  
\- One of your patients?  
\- Yeah… you know how they are. he answered with a hint of awkwardness in his tone. You noticed it and decided to change the subject.  
\- Do you like living in London? Are you originally from here?  
\- I was born in Germany and then moved in Ireland when I was 2 years old.  
\- I see… Now that you point it out, I can see the… Irish-slash-German –roots and hear them as well. Do you speak German?  
\- Ja, Ich spreche Deutsch. Ich muss sagen, dass du siehst sehr schön aus heute Abend, mein Liebling.*  
\- Right… you chuckled.  
\- Danke.** you added with a blush on your face.  
He kept asking questions about your life and past and you did the same. The atmosphere was relaxed and very warm. After the dinner, which you did not let him pay alone, he took for a drink in his favorite pub and then he made sure that you got home safely.  
\- Well… Thank you for a lovely date. you said and leaned onto the railing right outside the front door of your apartment building.  
\- Likewise.  
\- Do you think you would like to do this again?  
\- Absolutely!  
Then he leaned closer, wrapped his arms around you and kissed you softly. Then he pulled back and smiled as he turned away and walked away. Your heart was ready to burst and for a moment you were unable to do anything but just stand there in the chilly weather. If only you had known that it was the last time…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for butchering the German -language :D (Used google translator)  
> *Yes I speak German. I must say that you look beautiful tonight, dear.  
> ** Thank you


	10. He did not call

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first date went well but...

You had been hanging out quite much during the holidays, basically lived together almost 2 weeks. Then you had gone on the first date, which you had both treated as a joke. The date had gone well, you both had had fun and you had talked about seeing each other again. “Absolutely” he had said when he had taken you home before kissing you goodnight and leaving.

… but then he did not call you. Days passed and there were no messages or calls. It was the end of January, it had been almost 3 weeks since your date with Michael. First you had assumed that he was just busy. Then you had sent him a message asking how he was doing but he had not answered you. You had not tried to call him or send him a message since. In your mind it was quite obvious, he was not that interested after all. Maybe he had met someone who he liked more, his co-workers were gorgeous after all.  
It was the night of your gig, the one that you had given Michael a ticket to. You greeted Garret and Emily when you saw them standing in the audience. You scanned the crowd through but there was no sign of Michael. You tried to hide your disappointment when Garret shook his head subtly as a sign that Michael was not with them and they did not know whether he was coming or not. The first part of the show was over after 45 minutes, then you had a break and joined your friends in the bar. You asked for one cold cider and bought your friends pints.  
\- That was amazing! Emily congratulated you. You smiled and thanked for feedback.  
\- I am sorry but I do not know if Michael is coming or not. Garret said suddenly.  
\- Let’s not talk about him.  
\- But… The date went well…  
\- It did, but... but I don’t know. I sent him a message, he never replied.  
\- Maybe he’s just busy.  
\- It has been almost three weeks, Garret. It was fun but clearly not fun enough. Let’s not talk about that.  
You talked for a moment and then someone touched your shoulder. You felt your heart stop and turned around but it was not Michael. It was just some guy who wanted to ask you out. You talked with him for a moment and since he seemed alright, you accepted his invitation to join him for a late snack after your gig. Then you returned on the stage. The last song of the second half was the song “Sun and Moon” that you had sung to Michael. You pushed it through like a pro although your mind was somewhere else entirely, your skin ached and heart felt like it was shattering into a million pieces. That song was just linked with too many good memories.

The song ended. You collected the instruments and other things with other band members and after it was done you went to the backstage, more like a room, and sat down. Garret and Emily had left already because they were visiting Emilys parents early next morning. Suddenly your phone beeped. You took it out from your pocket, stared at the screen for a moment with a blank expression.  
“Great show”  
The message was from Michael.  
“Right” you answered. Your phone beeped again.  
“I’m sorry. I felt it was getting too serious a bit too fast.”  
“Yeah… Well, you could had said something.”  
“Can I see you?”  
You stared at the message for a moment and felt the tears building behind your eyes.  
“Not a good time. I am going on a date.” you answered and put the phone away. It rang a couple of times but you put it on mute so you could not hear it. Then you fixed your makeup and went to meet the other guy, Josh or Jared… maybe John… something… at the bar. You smiled at him when he asked “can we go now?” and nodded. You looked around and saw a familiar figure sitting in the far-corner, he stood up when you saw him but you then laughed at the other guys joke, although he was not even saying anything. Michael did not know that, for him it looked that you were having lots of fun.  
You went to get that late snack with the guy. He was okay, not exceptionally bright, he did not make you laugh either but he neither grabbed your ass nor get too drunk. You agreed to see him again, changed phone numbers and after the date he sent you a message.

You checked your phone. There were 9 missed calls from Michael and one missed call from Garret to whom you called back.  
\- Hi Garret, you called. Is everything alright?  
\- Yeah, yeah… We are throwing a game-night tomorrow. Are you free?  
\- Ye-Is Michael coming?  
\- No, no… He is busy…  
\- He was at the bar tonight, did you know that? you asked. Garret hesitated for a second and then said  
\- You two look so good together, what went wrong?  
\- We weren’t together, Garret.  
\- If he was at the bar tonight, did you talk with him?  
\- Just a few messages.  
\- And?  
\- He said that it was too much, too fast. Whatever, you know, I am on my way home from a date…  
\- With Michael?  
\- No… Some John… from the bar.  
\- Oh. he said and sounded disappointed. A silence followed.  
\- So, did you have fun with this John-guy?  
\- It was okay… I will see him again. Who knows.  
\- Yeah… Well… anyway, game night, tomorrow at six. Do not miss it! he said and hung up.  
You got home and went to the bathroom to wash your makeup away. It had smudged and was burning your eyes. You went to bed but the sleep did not come. Instead of drifting away you kept staring into the darkness as the tears fell on your cheeks silently.

It was so wrong in so many levels that you had been so happy for a moment and then it had just ended. You felt like you had been basking in the warm sunlight and then a big, dark cloud had just magically appeared from nowhere and taken the sunlight away. You had really liked Michael, very much, but none of it mattered now that your heart was broken and you had been out with someone else. But how were you going to settle with plain average when you had had a chance to experience greatness? It was a cruel world. So cruel.  
You spent the day in bed, listening to the wind and the sound of your own breathing when Garret called you.  
\- Yeah? you answered.  
\- Where are you?  
\- Home, why?  
\- You’re supposed to be here, silly!  
\- I don’t think I am on the mood for fun and games, real-  
\- The pairs are uneven! You must come.  
You sat up and sighed.  
\- Fine. I’ll be there in less than an hour. you said and just before hanging up you asked  
\- Michael is not there, is he?  
\- No…  
\- Alright… I’ll see you soon.  
You hung up and got out from bed. You took a quick shower, dried your hair, put some makeup on to cover the dark circles under your eyes and got dressed. It was a few minutes past eight when you got there because you had stopped at a store to buy a small present for the host-couple.

You rang the bell and it was Michael who came to open the door.  
\- Good eveni- you said and stopped when you saw him.  
\- Please, come in. he said and stepped away from the door. You walked in, took off your coat and shoes. The entire night you behaved very politely towards Michael. You avoided being close to him but otherwise it was nothing had ever happened. Nothing, ever. After a couple of hours he surprised you alone and blocked the way so you could not return to the living room where Garret and Emily were.  
\- We need to talk. he said and tried to look into your eyes.  
\- What is there to talk about?  
\- I am sorry, alright? I fucked up.  
\- No… it was just too serious, too fast. And you’re right. I got head over heels…  
\- But…  
\- It’s cool. We went on a date, after that you listed the pros and cons and did not call. That’s it. you said and left the room. You thanked the hosts for a lovely evening and left. Michael followed you. He grabbed your hand and pulled you into his arms. You broke free from the familiar embrace and shouted  
\- We’re done! There is nothing left to say! I liked you, but apparently it was too much for you to handle so fine… I don’t care! you shouted and broke down to cry. The bus was about to reach the stop nearby so you turned away and ran to get it.

The guy sent you a message. You agreed to meet him on Tuesday. The date went well and you saw him five times during next two and half weeks. Just casual dates, nothing too fancy or even nothing too fun. He put no effort on charming you and sometimes you felt that he was just killing time with you. You were not putting the effort in either but at least you tried to come up with interesting topics and fun things to do during your dates.  
You were on your way to the date number six when your phone beeped. it was Michael.  
“I need to see you!” I’ll come over later tonight.”  
You did not answer him.  
“I miss you, like crazy much. Please.”  
You put the phone away when you got to the bowling –place. You were deeply shaken by the message but decided to push Michael out from your head. The John-guy was alright. He was not that considerate, or romantic… Not even a good kisser but he had at least called you after the date and he was not a jerk either. You were surprised to find out that he had invited some of his friends on your date without telling you. His friends so different from yours. You had nothing to say to them and you did not even find their jokes funny. John did, but then again he was their friend. They did not laugh at your jokes, the conversations that you tried to start always withered away because there was no common ground. Besides you felt terrible.

\- Listen… I am not feeling too well. I think I’m going to head home. you said.  
\- Hm, you look quite pale. Yeah, it’s better that you leave. I ain't want none what you got. You look like shite.  
\- Thanks.  
\- Take a bus, missus. The stop is within two kilometers. You’ll find it. he said and concentrated on his friends again. You took your purse, changed the bowling shoes into your own shoes and left. It was raining and you had never been in that part of London before. He had invited you there because it was his favorite place and you had almost gotten lost on your way from the bus stop to the bowling place.  
Now it was dark and the whole neighborhood looked different. Finally, after walking around in the rain for an hour you found the stop. The next bus was coming after 30 minutes because the previous had just left. You sat down on the bench and read Michaels message again. You had not answered him anything.

“Fine, I’ll be home in an hour.” you wrote and then tapped sent-button.  
The bus came on time and, after taking a couple of connecting busses, you were home. The rain had stopped a while ago and you saw a man standing in front of your building. You stopped for a moment and cursed the state you were in. Your clothes were soaked, your makeup had smudged all over your cheeks and you looked pale.  
Michael followed you into your apartment. He did not say anything until you both had gotten rid of your shoes and jackets. You put on some lights and turned to look at him.  
\- You look… terrible! he said as he noticed how pale you were.  
\- I mean you look pretty, but very pale… Were you on a date since you’re so dressed up?  
\- Yeah. you answered him and looked at him with the blank look that hid your emotions all too well.  
\- Another first dat-  
\- Sixth actually.  
\- Oh… okay… he said and tried to figure out what to do or say next.  
\- So it’s getting serious… with him…  
You were silent.  
\- Alright… let’s do pros and cons; pros… I don’t think there are quite many if he let you home alone in that state.  
\- I’m fine. you mumbled.  
\- Cons… this is easy. Inconsiderate… And it’s clear that he does not make you glow like I-  
\- Like you did?  
\- Yes…  
\- But he called! He might be the most boring guy there is but he… called!  
\- Okay, that is a pro… but…  
\- Just… stop-  
\- I will not! I will chase you, I will keep pursuing you and even on your freaking wedding day I will be there telling that you should not be with that guy.  
\- I am not going to marry him! Gosh!  
\- No you will not, you know why? Because you’re smart. You know that he is not the guy for you.  
\- I thought you were, Michael, but…  
\- I can be that guy… I am that guy!  
\- How long do you think you can pretend to be Mr. Nice this time-huh? It took you 2 weeks to figure out that it was not what you wanted so any guesses how long it would take this time?  
\- What do you want me to say? I have said that I am sorry. I have told you that I made a mistake which I regret.  
\- Why don’t you just go on?  
\- Like you did? Oh, I tried… but I was lacking the right ingredients. he said and dared to walk closer. He put his hands on your cheeks which were burning hot. The look on his face changed as he tried to figure out if his notion was indeed correct; you were having high fever and the getting soaked in cold winter rain had surely made it worse.


	11. Taking care of you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You got soaked in the freezing rain and MIchael insists on taking care of you.

It was easy to read from your face that you did not quite believe the arrogance of Michael when he dared to touch you. And what was that look? He looked like he actually cared. He had no right to care all of a sudden. You stepped back.  
\- You are burning hot. he said as you walked away from his reach. Sure you felt worse by every minute but it did not give him a right to be the knight in the shining armor and waltz back into your life like that… with gallant gestures and concerned facial expressions.  
\- It’s nothing. Probably just a… stupid flu that has been bothering me for a week or two… you answered and crossed your arms defiantly.  
\- Have seen a doctor? Michael asked with a deeply concerned tone.  
\- For a flu? you scoffed and it was clear that the answer was “no”.  
\- Have you stayed home and rested?  
\- For a freaking flu?  
\- Apparently not. he mumbled and shook his head disapprovingly. His gesture made you feel like you should explain yourself so you said with an irritated, defensive tone  
\- You know how my work is… I cannot just-  
\- You are in no state to be running around, getting soaked. Did you notice that it’s still February? Michael asked and pointed outside where the rain was falling again, hitting against the windows of your apartment.  
\- Yeah, whatever. Listen, was there a reason that you came here?  
\- I miss you. he answered and he sounded almost desperate. You however had decided not to care so there was basically nothing he could had done or said to make you to accept his apology. You had the right to be hurt, he had no right to assume you to forgive him.  
\- Anything else? You could had said that with a message…  
\- I did…  
\- Yeah, exactly. So what are you doing here? you asked and spread your hands to emphasize the word “exactly”.  
\- I want you back. I want US back. We were good together! he exclaimed and took your hand, you however pulled it back and looked at him with a cold, hurt look on your face. You were tired of faking that you were indeed calm, blank, emotionless when actually you were everything but. You wished that you were calm and numb about the situation but in some level, you still cared, although you did not want to. Caring for Michael made it so much harder to be angry at him.  
\- It’s a little late for that… I am seeing someon-  
\- That guy? A guy who finds nothing wrong in leaving you alone when you’re sic-  
\- Just a flu! Besides, you do not have a right to judge anyone, you do not have the right to care, and you do not have the right to come here and sweep me off my feet again with your… mesmerizing eyes and charming smile! you shouted but your voice kept breaking occasionally.  
\- I really hurt you, didn’t I? he mumbled. It was the moment when he realized that maybe there was nothing to be done. Maybe he had fucked up so badly that there was no going back. On the other hand, now that he saw that you were hurt, it meant that you at least felt something. If you had been staring at him with blank, empty eyes, it would had been so much worse. It was better that you felt something than nothing at all.  
\- Oh really? Are you surprised? you asked sarcastically and then exclaimed  
\- I was happy!  
The last word left you breathless as you hung onto your last strength to keep yourself from breaking down completely.  
\- I was too! Michael exclaimed.  
\- How can I believe you? It was too easy for you to just decide that we were moving too fast!  
\- I’m sorr-  
\- Didn’t you notice that I was wondering the exact same thing but you told me not to worry. Then instead of saying anything… you just... You just broke my heart and then you come back and… you said and suddenly the room felt like it was spinning. You put your hand on your forehead and now you noticed it as well. Your skin was burning hot and you mumbled “this isn’t good” to yourself. Michael reached to hold you when it looked like your feet were going to give in any moment. He had noticed that your jacket was soaked as well as your hair but now he come to a realization that also the rest of your clothes were indeed wet.

Then the shivering started. Your hands were shaking because you were freezing due to the high fever. Your muscles started to ache and in the back of your head you could feel a massive headache building up. Having Michael close was the least of your problems now… although you did not want to admit that you had any… other than having to tolerate the presence of the arrogant bastard who happened also to be so charming.  
\- We need to get you out from these clothes. he said with a firm tone.  
\- Freaking men! Is that all that you think ab-  
\- Okay, it is obvious that you’re upset, but you’re being ridiculous. I want to get these soaked clothes off so I can take you to bed…  
\- And there it is… Did you come here and hope to get laid perhaps?  
\- I know that you did not mean that.  
You raised your head and looked at Michael. Even your lips were colorless and it looked like it was impossible for you to focus your gaze onto anything. Michael however looked slightly disappointed that you had assumed such things of him. You had to swallow your pride and apologize.  
\- I’m sorry… I’m just so cold and everything… hu-hurts.  
\- That is the reason why you need to get out from these clothes. he stated with soft voice, opened the zipper of your dress and continued  
\- Now… raise your hands for me.  
At this point you were too tired to disobey or even object so you just raised your hands and let him pull the dress over your head.  
\- You are enjoying this, aren’t you? you mumbled with a defeated tone. You were embarrassed to be the one in need and from all the people, the one who had hurt you the most, was the one to be there for you now. It felt unfair because you started to feel bad for being so angry at him.  
\- Which part? Seeing you like this? No. Undressing you? Surprisingly no. Being here for you? Yes. Now… the leggings.  
He helped the leggings off and got a blanket from your bed. He had sat you down on the sofa in your underwear and wrapped the blanket around you. He was careful not to touch you or even look at you for longer than a quick glance. He figured that he had no right to be close and personal with you now, not yet.  
\- Do you have any… tea? he asked. You shook your head.  
\- Anything hot to drink?  
You shook your head again.  
\- Alright. Are you still cold? he asked and you nodded.  
\- And everything hurts?  
You nodded again. You felt quite defeated because you were accepting kindness from your worst enemy, the enemy that you liked still but did not want to like anymore. You had extremely conflicted feelings about the whole situation. On the other hand you wanted to let him close but then again you were afraid that he would just abandon you in the darkness alone.  
\- Do you have any painkillers? Paracetamol?  
Michael was not surprised when you shook your head. You very rarely got sick and therefore you had nothing to ease the times when that happened.  
\- Okay… Well, sleep you have. My mother used to say that getting some sleep is the best medicine.  
He helped you to stand, walked you to the bedroom with his arm holding you securely close to him preventing you from falling or hitting furniture on the way. He helped you to lay down and tucked you in.  
\- You can go, you know. I do not want you to catch this… you muttered.  
\- Ha-ha! Nice try. Michael chuckled as he sat on the edge of your bed and brushed your hair as you were laying on your side, facing away from him, hugging a pillow.  
\- Make yourself at home. I think I am going to fall asleep soon. you mumbled. Michael stroking your hair was making you very sleepy. Your body remembered what it had felt to have him close and your heart did also. It was your brain that was doing its best to fight back.  
\- Oh and there is some… homemade lasagna in the fridge… if you’re hungry…

You fell asleep and slept for a couple of hours until your phone rang in the living room. You were feeling terrible and the ringtone was making your head explode. Suddenly the ringing stopped when Michael answered your phone.  
\- Hello? he said.  
\- Oi mate, who is this?  
\- Michael… and you are… he said and checked the name on the screen  
\- …John. he continued. There was something in the John-guys voice that made the hair of his neck to rise up. You heard Michael saying “John” and cursed. You were too tired to say anything or even move so you decided to settle with eavesdropping to the phone call. It was your phone after all and the call had been meant to you.  
\- Yeah… You sound familiar, have we met?  
\- No…  
\- You sure? I ain’t forget no voice, mate. You work at that grill near that one plac-  
\- No!  
\- Alright mate, no need to wet your knickers.  
\- What do you want?  
\- It’s personal. Is (Y/N) there? John asked.  
\- She is in bed.  
\- Are you a big brother or some shite?  
Michael took a deep breath and decided to ignore that, instead he just stated  
\- I’ll ask you again; what do you want?  
\- I ain’t telling you nothing, mate.  
\- I am not your mate. Now tell me or I’ll hang up.  
Michael was getting annoyed by the guy for some reason which he was unable to point out. Maybe it was the lazy way he talked, thick cockney dialect that he emphasized on purpose and which did not come naturally, or the slightly arrogant tone. You noticed the change in Michaels tone, you were not surprised because the way John talked was a bit annoying. He did not think that it was necessary to articulate clearly and he was ignoring every bit of common grammar or respect towards English language so yeah, you were not surprised to hear Michaels tone turning to the irritated side. John mumbled “fine” and answered  
\- I gonna ask her out. We was out tonight but I ain’t got none, if you know what I mean, because missus got sick.  
Then it hit Michael. Now he knew exactly who John was.  
\- So you’re the asshole who let her take a bus home alone! Michael exclaimed. He took a long, deep breath so he would not lose his calm. He did not want to wake you up by shouting and he did not want to leave the apartment either because then you would had been left alone.  
\- Oi mate! Whatever she got, I ain’t want none… Now who the bloody hell is you?  
\- I am the boyfriend!  
“What?!” you thought as you listened to the conversation Michael was having with John.  
\- Boyfriend? She ain’t got no boyfr- John chuckled but he was cut short when Michael stated  
\- On-and-off kind of thing. On again, this time for good.  
Hearing this warmed your heart a bit.  
\- Fucking hell!  
\- None of your business.  
\- Whatever… she’s all yours! I ain’t got no time for useless mingers. John scoffed. He had been basically only killing time with you so he did not bother to start fighting over you. He had noticed that you were too different but he had decided to go out with you and maybe score some along the way, besides, you were in a band which had been pretty cool in his opinion… and possibly meant free drinks in the future.  
\- Bitch is boring anyway and… terrible shag. John blurted, his ego was hurt so he wanted to shame you at least.  
\- Like a loser like you would ever get laid! Michael answered. He was pretty sure that this John-guy had never been even close to you bed and his guess was right. There had been a little bit awkward kissing but nothing more.  
\- I ain’t had such… loose… cunt! Yeah… what a minger! John said and tried to insult you.  
\- Never had tighter and I have plenty to compare with, so you must just have a small cock!  
You heard Michael defending your honor in a very unusual way and it made you chuckle. What you heard of the conversation was very one-sided but you were quite sure that Michael would not insult anyone unless they really deserved it.  
-Who the fuck is you? John shouted. He was getting angry and he was actually ready to start a fight. And he would had, if Michael hadn’t said  
\- Michael Fassbender and soon at your doorstep. I will smack you face off if you will not leave my girl alone!  
After that he hung up.

\- So… apparently no date number seven. you mumbled when Michael came in bedroom to bring you your phone.  
\- Most likely not, so you must settle with date number two…  
\- You are getting ahead of things.  
\- You cannot say no to my charming smile and mesmerizing eyes. he said and flashed a wide smile.  
\- Michael… it’s not funny… This is not a joke. I am not some easy…  
\- Oh I know…  
Michael sat down on the edge of your bed, put his hand on your forehead and was shocked that it was even hotter than before.  
\- Okay, cold shower.  
\- I don’t think I’ll be able to stand up. The whole room is spinning even when I’m laying down.  
\- I will go with you.  
\- What!  
\- Come on. I have seen you naked and I promise that I will just hold you. I will not… try… anything.  
\- No-oh!  
\- Either that or I will take you to the hospital. That fever is dangerous. We have to get it down. You choose.  
\- Hospital? Are you seriou-  
\- Yes. So which one is it?  
\- I don’t want to go to a hospital…  
\- Well there you have it. Now… try to sit up. Here, let me help. he said, helped you to sit up and when you were sitting on the edge of your bed, he put his arm behind you and lifted you up to stand as he stood up.  
\- I don’t think I can do this… you mumbled. Your balance was completely off and the room was spinning around you.  
\- I will get you into that shower no matter what. he said and lifted you up easily. You tried to protest but there was nothing you could do, besides, you knew that he had a point. He sat you down on the closed toilet seat for a moment and took off his clothes. He turned to look at you. The sight was heartbreaking; your head was hanging down with your hair on your face and you looked almost too pale to be even alive. Michael squatted in front of you and removed the hair off your face.  
Your eyes were closed and the smudged makeup made you look like a ghost giving even more contrast to the lack of healthy blush on your cheeks or lips. He pulled you to lean on him as he slipped his hands on your back, unhooked your bra and pulled it away. He could feel you shaking against him because you were feeling freezing cold. Then he lifted you to stand and with shaky steps you managed to get yourself to the shower, although you couldn’t had done it without Michael who was basically keeping your feet from giving in and the lack of balance from knocking you down.  
He put the shower on and turned the temperature down to cool, not cold yet. You jumped a little when the water hit your back. Michael turned the temperature on the cold side after a while and you started to feel more alive eventually. You felt him shiver instead but he was not even complaining. The last few hours had felt unreal for you, almost like you had been trapped in the middle of thick fog. Now the haze was clearing out.  
\- I think you can turn off the water now. you said and this time you managed to add a little voice in your words. You felt like you were even capable of standing alone. Michael had kept his word; he had just held you and his hands had not wondered off even once. He wrapped a towel around you and went through your closets to find you something to wear. Something light so your temperature would stay relatively cool for longer.

You got dressed up and sat down by the dining table. Michael got dressed as well and brought you a big glass of water which you emptied halfway reluctantly. You did not really feel like drinking or eating anything since your throat was sore and limbs felt like they had not strength in them. Michael sat on the opposite side of the table. It was almost midnight.  
\- You did not sleep with that guy, did you? he asked. You shifted your gaze from the table into his eyes and tilted your head slightly as you tried to figure out what was going on in his head. He however continued before you could answer  
\- Not that it would even matter. It is none of my business and I wouldn’t care if you did…  
\- With that sack of shite? you asked and mimicked Johns accent.  
\- Wait, did he say that I did? you asked.  
\- Yeah…  
\- Was that the thing that got you so pissed off?  
\- Pissed off?  
\- Well you told him that you would smack his face off… That sounds rather pissed off to me…  
\- He insulted you.  
\- Well, that’s nice. you mumbled. You had thought that John was an average ok-kind-of-guy who maybe tried to be something that he wasn’t with his overly emphasized fake-cockney dialect and attitude, but you had not thought that he would go as low and insult you. On the other hand you understood him; he had been dumped by some other guy and not even by you so it must have stung a little. Although it had been quite obvious for both of you that there was no future for you and him. Your interests were too different but apparently because neither of you hadn’t had a real reason to call it quits, you had just kept going out for the sake of having something to do.  
\- Okay… I think it’s time for you to return bed. Michael stated after a long silence.  
You finished the water and then returned to bed. Michael tucked you in and as he was going to leave the room you said  
\- It’s late, you need some sleep too.  
\- I will lay down on the sofa, don’t worry…  
\- Or you could sleep here… unless you rather not…  
\- Oh… yes, of course! he said and lay down next to you. You felt the shivers begin again as well as the aches. Occasionally coughing your lungs out and sobbing silently added to everything and made your state of illness almost unbearable.  
\- Can you hold me? you managed to ask. You did not want Michael to know that you were crying but he knew. He just did not dare to point that out because he was afraid of making you upset. You felt the mattress shifting when he got closer and then his arm wrapping around you and pulling you against his body. You were not sharing the blanket but you could still feel his warmth, the familiar bliss that lowered your guards. You felt his breath on the skin of your neck and fell asleep as you listened to the calming rhythm of his inhales and exhales which followed each other steadily.

Around 4 AM Michael woke you up. He had been sleeping very lightly and recoiled when he had heard you coughing violently. He also noticed that you were shivering. Therefore he decided to check your temperature and cursed when he found your forehead burning hot again. He turned on the light and woke you up.  
\- Hey… I have to go. he said when he finally managed to wake you up.  
\- Oh… okay. you answered but your voice was shaky and barely audible.  
\- I will come back. We need some medicine to get your fever down.  
\- Can’t we just take another shower?  
\- I don’t think it’s working well enough. There is a pharmacy that’s open 24/7 near my place. You can come with me but I think it is better if you stay in bed.  
\- Alright…  
\- I will be back in an hour.  
\- Okay… you said and tried to swallow the tears. He pressed a kiss on your cheek and then left the bed. It was heartbreaking for him to leave you like that but he had no other choice.  
\- Take the key… I don’t think I will be able to come and open the door… you said and noticed that Michael looked at you with a very worried look on his face therefore you decided to lighten up the mood.  
\- I’ll be alright… but did you turn this bed into a rollercoaster ride? you asked jokingly, however your joke was not really making anyone laugh.  
\- Try to sleep. Michael said, turned off the light and then left. You heard the door open and close, after a moment a sound of a car starting in front of your building echoed in the darkness.  
Michael felt extremely bad for you. He drove through the empty streets of London, not caring about the speed limits. He found the pharmacy, parked the car right in front of the store although it was not allowed. He figured that there were no police officers nearby and even if there were and he got a parking ticket, it was worth it. He stormed into the store and asked the person working the nightshift to help him.  
\- Something for high fever, please! he said with a desperate tone.  
\- Is the fever due to a flu? the person asked.  
\- I don’t know… Maybe.  
\- What symptoms do you have?  
\- Not me!  
\- Sir, calm down… Describe the symptoms…  
\- Coughing, shivers, muscle aches, high fever… sore throat.  
\- Alright… Let’s see what we have here…  
The person was moving annoyingly slow. Michael asked him to give the strongest one the store had that could be purchased without a drug prescription and then took it. He also bought a bottle of cough syrup and something to numb your throat. The person working in the pharmacy walked slowly to the sales counter and started to require information whether Michael had their customer bonus card and if not, was he interested on having it.  
\- No, I do not have it and I do not want it!  
\- May I tell you Sir about the advantages of the card?  
\- No, I just want to pay… Michael answered and checked nervously the time. The minutes slipped away without any mercy. His thoughts were on you and how you might be wondering if he was truly even coming back or maybe he had abandoned you again.  
\- I will just give you the key pointers… the salesperson said and at that point his voice muffled away as he kept listing the benefits of the bonus card. Michael took out his wallet and took a bill of 100 pounds out. He slammed it on the table, packed the medicines himself into a small bag that the salesperson had put on the table to wait and stormed out. He got into his car and drove away. The salesperson ran out from the store to catch him shouting “your change, sir!” but Michael was long gone by then and he could only see the taillights of the speeding car. 

Michael parked his car, locked the door and hurried in. He waited for the elevator for a moment but it was returning to the ground floor too slowly so he decided to run up the stairs. He knew that with the elevator he most likely was on the 5th floor faster but he felt better if he kept moving. Standing still was torture.  
He opened the door to your apartment and closed it. He took his jacket off, did not bother to put it on a hanger and kicked off his shoes. Then he filled a glass with water and went into the bedroom. He put on the lights and sat on the edge of the bed. He found you sleeping on your side, facing away from him so he put his hand on your arm and gently turned you on your back.  
The limpness of your arm shocked him as it fell on the mattress and partially over it when he turned you over. He tried to wake you up but all he got from you was random mumbling that made no sense. He went through your closets, found a towel and soaked it in the cold water. Then he returned into the bedroom and placed the wet cloth on your forehead. After few minutes you finally opened your eyes.  
\- You came back. your voice sounded fragile but genuinely happy and relieved. That was what you were; genuinely happy and relieved to see him and have him back. Not because you were somewhat scared of the state you were in, okay, that too, but mostly because your heart was getting tangled up and clinging onto the fact that you had another chance and you were running out of excuses why you shouldn’t let him close again. Your mind had stopped fighting back and started to surrender to new possibilities when he had not left although you had told him to do so with your tone and body language repeatedly.  
\- Of course! Listen, I will now lift you up to sit so you can take a painkiller, alright?  
\- Okay.

He lifted you to sit and handed you the pill which you put into your mouth and after that he handed you the glass which you emptied entirely. Your hand was shaking as you lifted the glass but you insisted on managing it by yourself. You did not want to be so sick that you had to be helped to drink.  
\- What’s the time?  
\- 5:30.  
\- Oh… I have to get ready for work… you mumbled and rested your head against Michaels shoulder. He stroked your hair and felt happy that finally you were reaching out to him. It gave him assurance that there was still hope to start over with you. He had decided to wrap you into kindness and show you in every way possible that he was being serious and sure about you.  
\- No… he stated with firm tone.  
\- My boss will kill me for sure if I’ll take a day off.  
\- A day? I wouldn’t be that optimistic. As your personal caretaker I think more like rest of the week off.  
\- Right… is that the famous brain surgeon talking?  
\- Yes… he chuckled and lowered you down against the pillows and mattress. Your mind was still in haze and your limbs hurt constantly. Michael lay down next to you and pulled you into his arms. Your head was resting on his chest and your arm as well, as you turned to lay on your side. He wrapped his arms around you and spoke to you softly, whispered sweet words of comfort into your ear.  
He felt your muscles being tensed up because of the ache and he tried to come up with any ideas to distract your mind away from the pain.  
\- I am sorry that the painkiller is not working faster. he whispered and pressed a kiss on your forehead.  
\- It’s not your fault…  
\- It hurts me to see you in pain, almost as much as if the pain was my own.  
\- I’m sorry…  
\- Oh no, don’t be… I wish I could share it for real, that’s all. Or take it away from you completely.  
\- You don’t really mean that… I mean… the ache sucks ass… you chuckled as you tried to mask your gasps for pain as lighthearted laughter, in which you failed miserably. Michael knew that you were strong and handling it like a boss, but the situation was getting unbearable for him. He had hoped that your aches would has faded magically away as soon as you had taken the painkiller but the reality was that it took time for it to work. Then he remembered something.  
\- I read about a study… he began.  
\- Oh… What… study?  
\- There has been a research which proved that touch can reduce pain…  
\- Ha-ha! That is a lame attempt to get into my pants, Mr. Fassbender… you stated jokingly, hoping that humor would distract Michael into believing that you were alright.  
\- No… it is not what I am trying. I know that the idea is a bit “out there” but please let me try. I have seen you suffering enough, too much even…  
\- What are you suggesting? you asked. You were not sure if you were ready to allow him to touch you, in any way. So far he had only been holding you and that was completely different. It was passive kind of caring which you had been able to tolerate, enjoy even, but this was going to the active side and you were not sure if you wanted him to caress you. Caressing was something intimate; whether it was just gently brushing your back or reaching the most private parts of you.  
\- Let me take care of you… he whispered and started to caress your arm. This time he had joined you under the same blanket. His fingers brushed your aching skin softly and you noticed that he was right; the touch of his hand on your skin removed the shivers and aches. Your mind slipped away from the awareness of “everything hurting” to comforting side of being taken care of. Michael continued tracing your skin with his fingertips and after a while he dared to intensify the motion with using his entire hand; palm as well as fingers. The touch was calming and he congratulated himself when he noticed your muscles relaxing.  
He shifted his hand from your back to your side and slowly continued caressing you. He had slipped his hand under your pajama top as he had been caressing your back and now softly moved his hand on your stomach and chest, to treat every part that he could possibly reach as his mission. He also moved his hand on your thighs, gently massaging the tensed muscles with slow, fluid motions. In your thoughts you were on a sunny beach where the soft breeze coming from the sea together with warming rays of sun melted the flu away.  
Michael rolled on his side and lay you on your back and pressed a soft kiss on your lips. His hand kept caressing your lower stomach and then slid under your clothes. You opened your eyes and stared at Michaels face with wide eyes, you tensed up immediately.  
\- What are you doi- you asked, not knowing what to think about his sudden invasion or how to react to it.  
\- Relax… he whispered and leaned closer to press another soft kiss on your lips.  
\- But…  
\- Shush… just close your eyes and fall asleep. I’ll be gentle. You know that I am.  
You thought about your options for a blink of an eye and decided to trust him. You closed your eyes and let yourself sink into a warm, relaxing closeness that lured your mind away from the ache and shivers. He kissed your forehead and kept you close as your breathing got shallower. He continued caressing you slowly and told you with a soft whisper to let it go and after a moment you did. He kissed your lips again as you slipped away in the land of sweet dreams where even the worst headache could not reach you.

In a few hours your temperature decreased a little because the medicine had finally started to work. When the morning light woke Michael up, he noticed that you had a little bit of color on your cheeks, it made him relieved and he was happy to know that the worst was over. You were breathing calmly, sometimes still coughing your lungs out but at least your fever was not that bad anymore.  
It was 10 AM when your phone rang. Michael answered it before it woke you up. He did not want you to wake up yet, now that you were finally sleeping peacefully. The caller was your boss who was practically screaming in the other end of the line. Michael explained her that you were seriously ill and sleeping. She demanded Michael to wake you up but he refused.  
\- Well this screws everything up for the entire company! she screamed and hung up the call.  
After 30 minutes she called again. Michael answered. This time she was not raging and asked Michael to open your work-laptop, find certain files and send them to her. She also stated that maybe it was better that you took the rest of the week off, just so you would not get anyone else infected. Your boss even apologized for the previous call, or more like how she had reacted to the news of you being severely sick.  
Michael did as she asked. He opened the laptop, typed your password which the boss had gotten from the person who took care of the operating systems, computer hardware, updates, passwords and so on. He found the file on the desktop, added the files to an email as an attachment and sent it to the boss whose email address he found from the list of contacts. He got a reply from your boss thanking him for his co-operation and apologizing again for shouting like that. She was not that surprised to hear that you were having a high fever since she had noticed that you had not been well for a week. She ended the email by asked Michael to wish you speedy recovery when you woke up.  
It was almost 5 PM when you woke up. You checked the time and remembered that the office was closing at five. A panic filled your mind when you realized that today was the deadline of an important project that you had been working on for some weeks and you were the only person who had the updated files since you had been working and overworking on them intensely at home during the evenings, even nights on your free time. You got up from bed, rushed out from the bedroom and kept cursing half aloud as you searched for your laptop.  
\- I am so screwed… I’m fucked…  
\- Your boss called. Michael said. You stopped immediately and mouthed “fuck”.  
\- Do I still have a job? you asked, although you were afraid to hear the answer.  
\- Yes. She said something about some files…  
\- Yeah… right… When did she call?  
\- In the morning, at 10… I think it was at 10, yeah.  
\- Why didn’t you wake me up? I mean there is a big-  
\- Project and a deadline. I know. I sent the files to your boss and explained your situation to her. You have the rest of the week free, so you can get well. he answered and walked to you. He had been in the kitchen cooking chicken soup which was now ready. He ran his fingers through your hair that was slightly damp from sweating caused by the sudden decreasing of your body temperature.

\- I’ll take a quick shower. you said, not really knowing where the thing between you and Michael was and where it was heading.  
\- I will set the table in the meantime. he said and kissed your forehead.  
\- Alright.  
\- Do not lock the door. Just in case you’ll pass out or need my help. he mumbled against your skin. You answered with a barely audible “okay” and then left the warm embrace. When you had taken the shower, you got dressed in a fresh pajama and sat down to enjoy some soup which tasted very good. You were quite hungry because you had not been eating for a day and the warm chicken stock helped your throat as well.  
You complimented the chef who told you to sit down and relax when you were about to start taking the dirty dishes into the sink. He brought you a blanket and motioned you to sit down on the sofa where he joined you after he had cleaned the kitchen. He sat next to you and was pleasantly surprised when you snuggled close to him. He put his arm around you and held you tight.  
He took your hand and pressed a kiss on your knuckled. His lips were warm and soft, you had missed them so much during the past weeks. You did not want to push him away anymore and you were tired of being sad and hurt and what was the point of holding onto those negative feelings anyway when you had a chance to be happy again.  
You drew back a little so you were able to see Michaels face. His eyes examined your features as he tried to figure out the reason behind the sudden back-draw. You smiled a little and raised your hand on his cheek. A smile appeared on his face when you caressed his cheek, softly tracing the lines in the corner of his eyes with your thumb as the rest of your hand cupped his jaw. He put his hand over yours and closed his eyes for a moment. He looked relieved, like a dark cloud had been removed from the top of his head and his wish for sunlight had been granted. His eyes were practically sparkling when he opened his eyes and looked at you, deep into you like they had looked throughout the whole Christmas –time.

\- I have missed you so much. you whispered.  
\- I thought I lost you. you continued and felt a tear rolling onto your cheek. Michael leaned closer and pressed his lips on the trail that the tear had left. He brushed his lips on your cheek as he got closer to your lips that were shaking a little. Your heart felt like it was about to burst or stop completely. His nose touched yours and his breath was on your lips. Those final moments before the first real kiss. The time felt like it was slowing down until it stopped completely. The sound of his breathing echoed in your mind as it got mixed with the sound of your own breath becoming only random, sharp, shallow gasps since you did not want to break out from the moment.  
The moment felt fragile. It was something so beautiful that you were afraid that if you moved or even breathed loudly, you would wake up and realize that it was nothing but the doings of your hopeful mind that had been secretly, most unconsciously missed Michael. You had missed him even though you had consciously wanted to forget him and you had been deliberately pushing yourself further away from the time you had shared together. It felt now that he had never left. The heartbreaks and disappointments were completely irrelevant in that moment where he was about to kiss you again.

You felt your mind racing and being calm at the same time. It felt like your heart had been pounding against your ribcage but as you sank deeper into the moment it felt that there was a half of an eternity between every beat. You had missed that feeling. You had missed him.  
Michael could not believe that it was actually happening. Sure he had pressed some soft kisses on your lips during the night before but they had been comforting in nature, not romantic like now. He stayed there, so close that his lips sometimes accidentally brushed yours sending shivers down his spine and making his entire existence electrified. All the short gasps for air that you took echoed in his mind, the sound of your heartbeat which he imagined in his head and the feeling of your gentle hand cupping his cheek. He did not dare to move because he was afraid that he was dreaming.  
Finally Michael pressed his lips against yours after a long buildup. His lips explored yours slowly just like he had had all the time in the world to reconnect with you in all the levels; mental, emotional and also in the physical level. You had felt close to him before and he wanted you to feel the same way again. The feeling of his lips moving against yours so gently felt more amazing that you had remembered or even dared to recall. The first kiss was almost like a subtle introduction; sweet, modest and soft, but it was quite enough to sweep you off your feet and restore all those feelings that you had thought were lost. They had been buried deep but not deep enough. You had been awakened from the cold, lonely sleep and brought back to warm sunshine.

Michael parted his lips from yours for a moment before tangling his fingers into your hair and wrapping his arm around you. He really needed to kiss you again. This moment was what he had been longing for during those long weeks that had followed each other as gray and boring as the previous one. Each day his world had lost a color; the first color that had left his world had been the color of your eyes. In 3 weeks time he had lost so many colors that he finally noticed how dark and lifeless his world was without you. Nothing had tasted the same, not even his favorite drink and every time he had opened one certain kitchen drawer where he kept his spices, an oriental scent had filled the room. It had reminded him of you but only to force him to remember that he had pushed you away. Those first 3 weeks he had been able to convince himself that you had not been what he wanted but just a mirage of something incredible that was not going to last.  
He had had dreams about you. First he had cursed the dreams because he had been sure that the only reasonable thing to do was to get away from you but as you had faded away from them he had realized that your smile was the thing that had lightened up his entire day and your laughter had made his heart feel light. Then one night he did not dream about you and he had woken up feeling lonelier than ever before. Yes, it had gotten quite serious quite fast but then again, it had felt right.

It had terrified Michael and after the first date he had stayed up all night convincing himself that it was not going to last. That it might feel right at the current time but as soon as the real world kicked in it would just fade away like it always did. He had reasoned that it was easier to break it off before it had even really started, before you were seen together and headlined in all the entertainment news and tabloids. Because when a relationship becomes public, it kind of turns into a spectator sport and the breakup becomes a public soap opera and most likely it would had been harder and more awkward that way –for him but also for you. He had known that he should had probably talked about the whole thing with you, but he did not know how to break your heart. He had not wanted to face it, to face you, because you had been so genuine about your feelings and because honesty and sincerity were characteristics that defined your persona making you so different from the shallow celebrities that he had dated before.  
But he had been wrong. So wrong and seeing you shouting at him “we’re done” had twisted the knife that was almost piercing his heart, not there quite yet but you had given the final push with “I don’t care”, but he had not blamed you for it. Seeing you so torn but also so in control, like you had been during the game night, before breaking down, had chilled his core. The blank look on your face had become his worst enemy because it had been the face he had worn the morning after the first date, when he had decided that there was no future for you two.

You felt his lips on yours again. This time they demanded you to surrender yourself completely. To let go and get lost into the embrace, into the warmth that radiated from him. You opened your mouth a little to grant him access to deepen the kiss. He kissed you slowly, deeply and intimately, engaging your entire being as long as there was air in his lungs. Then he parted his lips from yours and pulled gently your hair to guide you to tilt your head into an angle that allowed him to bury his face into your neck and pay attention to the skin that had been denied love and attention for too long. He nibbled your earlobe and then kissed your neck in all the ways that he knew that you enjoyed; softly, intensely, with lips, with his tongue and also with his teeth, never hurting you.  
He kissed your shoulder, your collarbones and brushed the skin from your chin down to the neckline of your pajama with his lips so softly that you were wondering if you were only imagining it. He kissed your jaw and slowly neared your lips again. When he got to your lips, he suddenly stopped. You felt him smiling against them, his smile felt beautiful and made you smile as well.  
\- What? you asked with a soft whisper.  
\- Would I be terribly bold if I wanted to take you to bed… just to hold you?  
You drew back, stood up and took his hand. He took the blanket and followed you into the bedroom. You were about to crawl in to the bed when he said  
\- Stop… I want to do this right.  
He wrapped his arm behind your back and lifted your chin with other. After guiding you to kiss him he wrapped his both hands around you and pulled you close to him. You caressed his arms and chest and then slid your hands behind his back. His actions were calm and gentle, his touch was intense but never rough. He lowered you to lay on the bed and crawled to hover over you. The pillow was cool and soft under your head and the whole world felt like it had been made of daydreams and finest, softest silk.  
You opened your eyes and saw him staring at you with a mesmerized smile on his face. You examined the depths of his blue eyes enchanted and fascinated. You both were silent, just breathing calmly and staring into each others eyes and far beyond that; he was reading you, you were reading him and if there was a soul in you, he was reaching it.  
He lowered himself to kiss you again. This time he allowed some of his weight on you, but acknowledging that you were not well and therefore he had to be careful. He ran his fingers on your arm and tangled your fingers as he reached them. The familiar feeling of his hand holding yours. It felt right and it felt so easy, natural even that you had to admit to yourself that you had fallen completely in love with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has been dedicated to Agentrogers17 as a thank you for the comment on the previous chapter.  
> I hope you liked it :D
> 
> Special shout-out to Catalina who has been also commenting on this story. I will dedicate the next chapter to you!
> 
> I want also to thank for all the kudos I've received. I appreciate it very much.
> 
>  
> 
> This was a long-ass chapter because I could not just go from hurt to fluff in 5 seconds :D I hope it had enough fluff.. and since the relationship has been fixed... there most likely will be more fluff in the future too.


	12. Monday madness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You go to work and everything goes to sh*t.

With plenty of rest and lots of good care from Michael you got better in few days. The only thing that was not getting better was your throat and sometimes your voice disappeared entirely. That meant that you were unable to have long conversations with Michael so he just mostly held you close and brushed your hair. You watched movies and played board games although you had only few. Scrabble was your favorite but you kept losing because you did not come up with long words that would had given you bonus points. Michael let you win a couple of times but you were able to see it on his face when he was not putting a work on the board that would had turned the score around.

Sometimes you got terrible coughing fits that dropped you on the floor on your knees and got you into tears, otherwise you were getting well. Those time Michael usually squatted next to and ran his hand on your back or got you a glass of water to wait for the moment that the fit was over. The thing that you were happy about was that you did not have a runny nose and you were not feeling stuffed with snot like you sometimes did during the flu.

It was Monday and you had to go to work again. You had promised Michael that you would call him immediately if you felt bad and he would pick you up. Everything went well until the lunchtime, which had been around 1 PM. Then you started to feel slightly sick again but according to your schedule you had to go for a visit at a client to discuss the layout and color scheme of the web page she had ordered from the company you were representing.

You stared at yourself in the bathroom mirror. You looked pale again and you had even forgotten the medicines home. Suddenly your phone rang. It was Michael.  
\- Hi Michael. you answered with a shaky voice and looked around just to make sure that there were no one in the toilet cubicles. You were alone.  
\- Hey… How are you doing? he asked.  
\- I was doing well in the morning but I don’t know… 4 hours of staring at the computer screen made my head hurt and I do not feel too good otherwise either.  
\- You do not sound too well. Do you want me to come and get you?  
\- That’s the thing; I cannot leave. I have been scheduled a meeting with a client and I am supposed to be on the other side of London in… you said and checked the time from your phone screen.  
\- … shit, 38 minutes.  
\- But you cannot stay at work if… when you’re sick!  
\- I know, but I already got a warning-  
\- A warning?  
\- Yeah, for not showing up at work and not calling about it myself in advance. I cannot really afford losing this job.  
\- I do get that, I do, but no… I do not think it’s a good idea. I think I should come and pick you up.  
\- No-  
\- Yes, end of discussion! See you soon. he said and hung up. You stared at the phone screen for a moment, even after it had turned off. Your boss came into the bathroom and walked next to you.  
\- You do realize that you’re walking on thin ice, don’t you? she asked. You put the phone in your pocket and grabbed the edge of the sink just to keep your hands from shaking. The boss applied screaming red lipstick and looked at your pale reflection with judging look on her face.  
\- If you fuck this client meeting up, I am afraid that I must let you go. You work much but lately I have not been very pleased with the quality of the outcome.  
\- But-  
\- I know that you work during evenings and nights as well. Everybody knows that! You look like shit when you come to work and that is unacceptable. This current moment is perfect example!  
\- I am not feeling well and I feel that I am going to pass out any momen- you dared to defend yourself but your boss gestured you to shut it.  
\- The point is that you work hard and you are talented… However what you get done does not match the hours you put in. I do not care that you meet the deadlines, I do not care that our clients are pleased with your work, but with the hours that you put into this work –during the office hours and outside them, you should get more done.  
\- That is unfair. you commented.  
\- Now… she said and turned to face you. He took the lipstick and applied it on her fingertip. She told you to face her and when you did she pressed her fingertip on your cheek, blended the red spot and then repeated it on your other side.  
\- I think you should be on your way already. she said and left you into the bathroom alone. You covered your mouth as you were about to burst into tears. You took your hand off your mouth when you were sure that the urge to cry had passed and then took your phone and texted Michael  
“I’m feeling better. I will get home after work.”

Michael tried to call you a few times but you muted your phone and left the bathroom.  
You took your bag, laptop and coat and left the office. Your boss shouted in front of everyone “don’t fuck this up or you’ll be looking for another job”. You heard people immediately starting to gossip and they avoided your gaze as you walked past them.  
You took the subway to get to the clients office. You opened the laptop and started to go through the main things. The client was speaking very fast and changing her opinion about the colors and layout all the time. Just as you had managed to present an idea that matched what you had discussed with her just 5 minutes ago, she changed her mind and you had to do everything again.  
She was one of those clients that did not really understand anything about colors and what they meant. She did not understand either that when you changed the color of the background, you had to also change the color of the font and redo the color balance of the pictures that she wanted to have on the website. She thought that what you did was easy and all you had to do was to click a few icons on the screen and that was it. Finally you had started over so many times that you were about to explode. Besides you were having so terrible headache that thinking was becoming impossible.  
\- Oh that layout… It does not look right, does it? I don’t like that shape-  
\- I only used the instructions that you gave m-  
\- Oh, silly me, did I say square? I mean more like… round…  
\- Square with round edges?  
\- No… Round as a… sphere.  
\- Alright.  
\- And those colors… No… That dark night-blue font color… I am not feeling it. I think it should be more like navy-blue… Or maybe black… no, not black, or… no, not black. It has to be the color of night sky and the font has to look like string of lights on the dark blue canvas… Oh, I like that idea…  
\- Are we now talking about the background color or the font color? you asked.  
\- Where is your mind wandering today, (Y/N)? I think it is getting clear that it’s not here. the client said with an irritated tone.  
\- My apologies, Mrs. So, round-shaped background, night-sky-blue and the font is… white with a hint of yellow in it?  
\- Yes!  
\- Are you sure? It could look slightly gloomy.  
\- Nonsense! It will be lovely. Now chop-chop. the client said and ran out from the office. She left you alone in the room again where you started to work on the propositional layout picture. You checked the clock and it was well past office hours but since the clients firm was open until 10 PM you could not really leave. Michael had called you again a couple of times. You sent him a message that you were still at the clients place and suspected that soon you would be able to leave.  
“Where is it? I’ll come to pick you up.”

You texted the address and told him that the company was a store that sold cute things, handmade jewelry and so on. Then you concentrated onto the project again. You called the customer again and she came to see your proposition. It was exactly as she had described.  
\- No… it just doesn’t work.  
Then you lost it.  
It was around 8 PM when Michael parked his car outside the shop. He waited for 20 minutes in the car and then walked into the shop because the windows of the car were turning non-see-through because of his breathing. He heard you shouting in the backroom with a voice that was still completely messed up from the flu. He decided to stay and wait.  
\- Do you understand that this is exactly the way you wanted-huh? I have been presenting you 6, maybe 7 different layouts and all they had been done according to… Your… Own… Requirements! you shouted and stood up. You had printed each one of the suggestions and held them in your hand. Then you started to slam them one by one on the table while you repeated the given key instructions, which you had followed every time, as you spread the A4 illustrations on the table next to each other.  
\- Go ahead! Choose! Surely one of these is good!  
\- If this is how the company treats their clients, then I must say that you have just lost me! the client screamed.  
\- Or why should I suffer! I will call your boss tomorrow and make sure that you will not work there after this… fiasco!  
Michael heard you beginning a sentence and suddenly he heard someone falling and hitting a couple of furniture followed by a soft thump-sound. He rushed into the backroom and saw 5 A4 papers on the table and the client squatting next to you not really knowing what to do. There were 3 more printed papers on the floor. In total 8 different suggestions.  
\- Move! Michael said and squatted next to you and tried your forehead after he had turned you on your back. Your cheeks looked mysteriously red and it did not take long for him to figure out that it was just some kind of paint because you were burning hot again. The woman moved and stared at Michael with a shocked look on her face as he lifted you up on his arms and carried you into his car.  
\- Mind bringing her jacket and purse? he said with an angry voice. The client was not objecting.  
\- What about the laptop? she asked.  
\- I do not think (Y/N) will be needing it anymore. he answered.  
\- But…  
\- Do you think that I will let her to work in a place like this anymore? With clients such as youself?  
\- But…  
\- No! I do not and if I heard correct, you yourself swore to get her sacked anyway. So no, I do not care about the fucking laptop! he yelled and got into the car.

He drove you home and carried you into bed, put a cold, wet cloth on your forehead and sat on the edge waiting you to wake up. After 15 minutes you started to show signs of recoiling and when you opened your eyes, Michael had a painkiller ready for you so he helped you to sit and also to drink some water to get the medicine swallowed down.  
\- Hey… he whispered and pressed a soft kiss on your forehead. It was good to feel his arms around you. You felt safe and calm although your head was aching and it felt that it was going to explode at any time.  
\- Where am I? you asked. The room was dimly lit and the world felt like it was spinning again around you, or maybe it was you who was spinning.  
\- Home.  
\- How did I get-  
\- I picked you up.  
\- I do not remember anything about that. you said and asked him to lower you back on the bed. He did so very cautiously and then lay next to you.  
\- Well… apparently you passed out. I am prepared to take you to the hospital if you pass out again. Oh by the way, you probably got sacked so…  
\- Yeah… I kind of knew that it was going to happen. you answered and sighed. Your work had been a pain in your sweet ass for a while now. The company had laid people off and expected the remaining crew to take care of the same amount of customers and even a few more. It was an equation that did not add up, at least not without cutting hours from your free time or lower the quality of the service. You had not done the latter.  
You were silent for a moment and stared at the ceiling. Michael rubbed your arm and held you close without saying a word.  
\- Why did you have red paint on your cheeks? he asked suddenly.  
\- My boss applied her lipstick so I would look alive.  
\- Right, so rather that than sending you home?  
\- Yep. you mumbled. You were getting very tired. You had been working over 11 hours hours, starting at 9 AM and felt very bad over half of that time. You had gone to the clients’ office in the afternoon, the appointment had been scheduled to start at 3 PM and it was supposed to be done by 5 PM, 6 PM max. but you had still been working when Michael had entered the shop around 8:30 PM. A long day to work, especially when you were recovering from a severe flu.  
\- I have to say that I am not even one bit sad that she is not your boss anymore.  
\- Me neither but… the thing is that I do not have big savings. I can manage one and half months without any income but then… Then I’m screwed. you said and sighed deeply. You did not want to think about your financials but living in London was expensive even though your apartment was small and not even newly-renovated. Michael told you not to worry and started to think ways that he could help you. If he knew someone who needed a web designer or a content manager. He decided that if there was no other choice, he would hire you himself. He quite liked the idea. At least then you would have a pleasant, sympathetic and very likeable boss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter dedicated to Catalina! Thank you for commenting, much appreciated :)
> 
> Next one will be to you, Angel_Style, stay tuned!
> 
> \- Venla :)
> 
> Yes, I dedicate chapters as thank-you's for comments and kudos. I want you to know that kudos and comments make me smile so I kind of want to return the favor =)


	13. Getting fired

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So it happens, as you already knew, that you got fired.

The next day Michael drove you to work. He walked you inside and unlike you had decided together in the car on your way there, he followed you in the office. You were the first employee to arrive and you knew that your boss was there already. She was always at least 15 minutes early and this morning was no different. She was talking on the phone with the client that you had pissed off.

\- Yes, I will send someone there immediately… For free? I am afraid I cannot… I am willing to give you a 20% discount… Fine, 25%… That is the final offer... Good. I personally apologize for (Y/N)s behavior and make sure that she will not represent this company anymore… Left the laptop there? Alright Mrs. I will send someone there by noon. Thank you. Bye! your boss said and hung up.

You knocked the door of her office, which was open but you did not dare to enter the room without being invited first. Michael stayed further away. He kept listening to the conversation and had decided to defend you if the situation needed it. He wanted to show you that he was serious about you and he was the one you could always rely on, no matter what.

\- (Y/N). The woman of the hour. your boss began with an irritated voice. She did not bother to stand up and you were actually quite happy that she did not. She looked vicious with her glasses, strong makeup, fitting suit, hair pulled back into a bun and with her high heels she was taller than you and she was not afraid to look at you like you were no one.  
\- Morning. you answered. She noticed a dark purple bruise on your forehead. You had gotten it when you had fallen down the previous night and you had lacked foundation strong enough to cover it up properly. She however did not comment the bruise.  
\- Do you know who just called? she asked with sharp, cold tone.  
\- I suppose it was Mrs. Donner from Cuties –gift shop. you answered and walked in when your boss signed you to enter the room. You tried your best not to appear nervous. You after all knew what was going to happen and it was only the matter of your boss firing you or you quitting yourself. A certain line had been crossed and there was no going back anymore.  
\- I guess you know already that you’re fired. she said and kept drumming her nails against her desk. It was very annoying but she always did that because apparently she liked the sound that it made.  
\- Kind of figured. you answered.

\- I told you specifically not to fuck this up, didn’t I? And what did you do! You managed fuck it up so badly that I am forced to give 25% discount to keep her business with us. she said and stared at you with an angry look on her face. You stood silently and tried to keep your calm. Starting a fight did not help anyone but still you kept feeling that you had the right to at least tell her your side of the story.  
\- And you left the work laptop there. Why is that? she continued and stopped drumming the table.  
\- I was not in the state of being able to take care of the laptop…  
\- What do you mean? she asked and shot you with an irritated glare.  
\- I passed out. you answered and returned to the glare with your shield of the blank –look which you had perfected to the point that it started to irritate your now-ex-boss. She had wanted to break you and maybe see some tears as well. In her eyes you were this overly nice loser who would never succeed in the business life because you did not have balls to be mean. It was not that you did not have balls to be mean, you just believed in social karma; if you treated well other people, they most likely treated you well as well.

\- What? she asked. Yes, the client had left that out completely. Now it kind of made sense and for a small, very brief moment your ex-boss felt sorry for you. However the moment of weakness called empathy was gone in a flash.  
\- She did not tell you? Well… now that I am already fired, I might as well tell you my side of the story. you stated firmly. Your blank mask however did not crack.  
\- I am not interes-  
\- I have been more than a dedicated employee here these passed three and half years. I have been working my ass off and never have I complained. I think I deserve the chance to defend myself. Fortunately since I am already fired I can say… Shut the fuck up! you said and flashed a defiant smile. Your now-ex-boss looked at you with shocked look on her face. You took a big breath and decided to continue in a civilized manner.  
\- I was there at 3 PM, as agreed. When I went there I had with me the layout-illustration that we had already agreed on via email with the client and we were just supposed to fix a couple of minor details. you began and felt sorry that you did not have any hard evidence to back your side up. If you had the printed papers you could had shown your boss that you had been actually doing pretty good job.  
\- However when I got there she did not have really time to sit down with me and she kept interrupting the meeting. I presented her the illustration and suddenly it was not to her liking at all. We’re not talking about subtle changes in the density of colors or the location of pictures. She wanted me to start all over again, from the beginning. you explained with a serious look on your face. Your ex-boss paid more attention the computer screen than you which you found extremely impolite. She even started to type something and the sound of her fingernails hitting the keyboard was making you insane; you were getting annoyed again.

\- I ended up presenting her 8 different layouts! Eight! Each one of them done according to her requests, and the very first one she had already even seen, but suddenly it was not what she wanted.  
\- She said something about you behaving in unprofessional manner… your ex-boss said without shifting her eyes from the computer screen.  
\- Sure, I admit that I kind of lost it. It was getting late, past 8 PM and when she told me that even the 8th suggestion was not good, yes, that kind of pushed me over the edge.  
\- It is still unacceptable.  
\- I had expressed my concerns about the layout but she did not listen to me, so I did as she asked, 8 fucking times! So I slammed the layouts that I had printed on the table, and yes, I did shout… But I had done bloody-good job with every one of the illustrations. How can you work with someone who just keeps changing her mind?  
Your boss shifted her gaze on you. She took a long disrespectful look at you from head to toes and shifted her gaze to the screen. She continued typing.  
\- So, good luck with that! you stated. The ex-boss was silent.

\- And that passing out? How did you get home?  
\- That is personal. you answered.  
At this point Michael walked into the room. He had gotten enough.  
\- I took her home. he said and stood firmly next to you. He put his hand behind your back to show support.  
\- Hm, you look familiar. Have we met? she said and was about to stand up to shake his hand.  
\- Don’t bother and no, we have not met. Michael answered. Your ex-boss glared at him as well.  
\- Michael, can you wait outside. This will not take long. you asked and finished your sentence with a soft “please” accompanied with a brief smile.  
\- Michael? Ah, now I know who you are. Cute, you brought your famous boyfriend to fight your battles? Very professional. she said and focused on typing and stared at the computer screen. The sound of her nails was annoying Michael as well.

\- Alright I think (Y/N) is done here now. The laptop is at the gift shop because I did not take it with me last night. My hands were full of your former employee because she was unconscious due to high fever. What disgusts me the most is the “lipstick on the cheeks” –trick. he said and was about to guide you out from her office.  
\- Mr. Fassbender, it does not concern you. You should seen (Y/N)… like a ghost, disgusting!  
\- Oh I have seen her pale like that! And you should had sent her home and not to your client! Michael exclaimed.  
\- I think we’re all done. you mumbled and then continued  
\- You can send the testimonial for working here at “Bigger Picture –designs” to my home. You have my address. I am not expecting you to be my reference, so you can keep the document nice and short. you said and left the room with Michael. You cleaned your desk and on your way out you ran into some of your former colleagues. 

\- (Y/N).  
You turned to look at your ex-boss who was calling your name. She walked to you and said with a cold tone.  
\- Here, the testimonial. I am not going to waste any more of this company’s money on you. I would not recommend you this kind of work anymore. You clearly cannot handle the pressure.  
That was it, now the claws were on.  
\- Well fuck you! You and I both know that I am good at what I do! It is your leading –style that sucks ass! You are expecting your employees just manage more clients with less staff, the same hours and within tighter deadlines! I am surprised that I even took your shit this long. I liked my job but the working environment here is fucking disgrace! you said, took the document and said to Michael  
\- I do not want to waste my precious time here anymore, let’s go!  
Your hands were shaking and the edge of the document that you were holding firmly in your grip was getting crumbled. You wished the rest of your ex-colleagues all the best and then left the office. When you got out on the parking lot you took a deep breath and closed your eyes for a moment. Michael leaned onto the car and stared at the office building. 

\- How about we’ll go and get drunk? he asked. You chuckled.  
\- It’s the Irish way! he stated and winked his eye at you.  
\- Ha-ha! Maybe some other time. I think I should go home and start applying jobs.  
\- Or… you could get drunk with me and end up behaving very irresponsibly.  
\- Is this one of those “I’ll make you an offer you cannot refuse” –kind of situations? you asked and started to laugh.  
\- I have never seen you drunk. I think it could be interesting. he stated with slightly mischievous tone which you found very charming, especially when he combined it with a smirk.  
\- You do not give up, do you?  
\- If I had given up, I would not be here with you. he answered and turned to look at you.  
\- Good point. Alright… Let’s go and kill some brain cells. I am way too smart for you anyway!  
\- Hey! he exclaimed and chuckled.  
\- You have the looks, I have the brain. you joked and made a “duh” –face which made Michael laugh.  
\- Come on. I’ll take you on lunch. he said and opened the door for you. You chuckled and got into the car. 

Michael drove to his favorite lunch place where he went every time when he wanted to eat well and enjoy relaxed atmosphere. He preferred cozy pub –styled restaurants to fancy high street gourmet –places. He parked the car by a quiet street and then took your hand as he led you on the other side of it. He walked into the pub, followed by you and got greeted by the manager.  
\- Mate! Michael answered and raised his hand as a greeting. You smiled and kept yourself on the background.  
\- Well-well-well, who is this? the owner asked and nodded at you as he was already pouring a pint to Michael.  
\- Hello. you said and smiled.  
\- I have not seen this beauty before. Who are you? he said, handed Michael the pint and reached over the counter to shake your hand. You shook his hand and smiled politely. It was a little awkward because you did not really know the pub-etiquette and felt a little like a fish out of water standing there.  
\- She is a hungry customer. Michael commented and sipped his beer but when you were not looking, he put his hand over his heart, closed his eyes with a smile on his face and then pointed at you after opening his eyes. The owner gave him a subtle thumbs-up. You turned your head and Michael suddenly ran his fingers through his hair in the most suspicious way possible, just because he wanted to hide that pointing-gesture. You looked at him and mumbled "right", but the tone was more like "wtf".

\- Well, alright. I did not mean to pry. What are you having?  
\- She takes a shot and then she takes another shot and then she’ll have an apple cider. I am trying to get her drunk so she would sleep with me.  
You burst into laughter. You knew that you most likely shouldn’t had been drinking because of the flu and fever but you thought that two shots and a cider was still within the limits of okay. It was only 11 AM and you hardly ever got drunk especially that early, on Tuesday.  
\- You know what; make it three shots and a cider. I got fired today. you stated and drummed the bar counter a couple of times.  
\- Oh, I like her. the owner said to Michael who nodded.  
\- Yeah, me too. Michael commented. You drank those three shots quickly and then followed him to a corner table. You sat in the booth in front of him and put your purse on the bench next to you. The shots had not started to kick in but soon you felt them getting into your head. Anything and everything that your date said made you laugh, which made him laugh. The owner came to sit with you for a moment. He took a chair to the end of the table and chatted with Michael for a moment about his movie projects. Then the owner focused on you.  
\- Got fired, eh? Why anyone would fire such a charming young woman? the owner asked.  
\- Long story… you said but since you were tipsy you continued  
\- …but if you must know… Long story short; Boss sucked ass, the hours sucked ass… the salary sucked ass… the clients…  
\- Sucked ass? the owner asked.  
\- Yes! Oh I love you, mate, you get me! you exclaimed. The owner was a bald man in his late 50’s so Michael did not get jealous for your comment. He only found it funny. If, however, the man had been something around his own age, he might had felt a little sting in his heart and been forced to grab you into his arms immediately, just to show the guy that you were off the market.  
\- Yeah… he commented and winked his eye at you jokingly.  
\- We have this… you said and waved your finger from your forehead to his direction.  
\- Like… “zummm”… you said and started to laugh.  
\- Mental connection. the owner said and laughed.  
\- Yes! See? you asked Michael who was staring at you fascinated, he laughed and shook his head. Then the owner noticed that there was a local drunk behind the counter filling his own glass. He shouted “oi!” and stormed away.

\- I’m sorry. Am I embarrassing you? you asked and covered your face with your hands as you kept laughing almost uncontrollably.  
\- Never. he answered immediately with adoring smile on his face, which you unfortunately missed since you were hiding behind your hands. You calmed down after a moment and removed your hands off your face.  
\- Okay, I shall go and order us some lunch. Do you trust me? he said and got off the table.  
\- Well that is a highly unusual question… but yes. you answered.  
\- No haggot, though! you exclaimed when he was already going.  
\- Do you mean “haggis”? Fear not, haggis is off the menu. the owner replied across the room.  
Michael ordered you both slices of chicken pie with fries. When he came back he motioned you to come to sit next to him because there was something he wanted you to see. You changed the side and bent down to see what Michael was pointing at. Apparently there was a carving in the wooden wall.  
\- “MF”? You carved your name here?  
\- Well not the entire name obviously because I would had gotten caught. Such a long name.  
\- Well at least it's not "Benedict Cucumberbatch"... you joked.  
\- Now… you must carve your own initials next to it so we can return here after 100 years and still see our nam-  
\- Is Michael cheering you on to damage my property? the owner asked as he was bringing the food.  
\- No. you answered casually and flashed a tipsy “trying hard to be adorable” –kind of smile.  
\- Well alright… As long as you keep it short, lassie. he said and returned to the bar.  
\- Now, go on… the old man is not looking. Michael said with that mischievous smile on his face. He handed you a steak knife and promised to keep watch. You managed to carve your own initials and gave the knife back to Michael who carved a small heart in between.  
\- Now it’s official and it is also public. Michael stated. He turned to kiss you and if your head was not spinning enough already, now it definitely was.

You did not keep drinking anything alcoholic after the cider so in an hour and half you were back to normal. The shots had not been anything too strong but since you had taken them so quickly it had been enough to get you tipsy. When you were tipsy your mind was sort of clouded, nothing felt too serious and you could laugh at the whole losing-your-livelihood –thing. Even though losing your job did not break your heart, mostly because your work had not defined you as a person and you had now Michael cheering you on, but you had to admit it; you were worried about the future and it hit you as you felt the alcohol leaving you. You listened to Michael talking about the next X-men project but his voice got muffled out as you sank deeper into your thoughts.  
\- …and I was thinking that now that you do not have a job, you are basically free to come with m-  
\- Excuse me. you said and left the table. You went to the ladies room and stared at your reflection. Your ex-bosses words echoed in your head and you felt disappointed at yourself. You had let yourself down by shouting at the client and your ex-boss. You knew how difficult it was get a new job when the depression still weighted on the shoulders of the world-economy. 

After 10 minutes there was a knock on the door which you did not answer. Michael came in and saw you staring into the mirror.  
\- I lost my job. you stated and it was clear that you were not taking it as lightly as you had let to believe.  
\- You will get another one, besides… you will come with me to the shooting of the new movie…  
\- Am I? What movie?  
\- I see… Michael mumbled. He tried not to get offended by the fact that you had ignored everything he had been talking about the last nine and half minutes, approximately.  
\- I’m sorry, I was not paying attention. Are you leaving London? you asked but this time there was no blank face to cover the fact that you got surprised by the fact and it was not exactly a happy surprise.  
\- Yes… not for a while, but in the beginning of June. he answered with soft, calm voice.  
\- Oh… you commented and turned away. So you were not going to have Michael there cheering you on. But on the other hand, you should had seen this coming; the entire planet was his workplace, not just some dusty old office building. You started to sob silently.

\- And I am taking you with me, (Y/N). Michael said with firm tone.  
\- I have to get a job, I cannot just… leave! you exclaimed, spread your hands and looked everywhere but at Michael.  
\- No, don’t you see, this is exactly the time to leave! The world is open to you!  
\- But I cannot afford living here and keeping my apartment without a job! It is almost the end of February now… I will run out of my savings by the end of April even if I tried to lay low. And if I’ll decide not to eat, then I will keep the apartment until the end of May.  
\- What about singing? he asked.  
\- It is just a hobby. you said and finally turned to look at the man who was standing at the door of the ladies bathroom.  
\- Why? Clearly it is something that you love and are good at.  
\- But not good enough. I am fucked, Michael! you stated and closed your eyes. When you opened them, black tears fell on your cheeks and smudged your face. It made you look heart breaking again.  
\- We will figure it out, yeah? he said and walked to you. He wrapped his arms around you and you did the same, pressed your cheek against his chest and sighed “yeah”. Being angry at Michael and pushing him away did not help anything, besides having his arms around you made you feel calmer, like a strong fortress had been built around you and there was no way that anything could had reached you as long as you were safely within the walls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter dedicated to Angel_Style. Thank you for comments!
> 
> Next chapter is for Lovelygirl2406 !
> 
> I hope this chapter was to your liking, dear Angel_Style! :D


	14. The meeting with the ex-boss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You get a call from your ex-boss and agree to meet her.

It took about 3 months for your ex-boss to call you and ask you back. Apparently the client had admitted that she may had been a bit difficult and taken shamelessly advantage of the fact that

a) you were significantly younger than she was and she had used this fact shamelessly by thinking you merely as a “silly, young girl” who could be pushed around just because you were younger  
b) you had not objected earlier. She had assumed you to tell her “no” and insist settling with the layout that you had both agreed on and just done the minor tweaks and  
c) since she was not paying by hours she had thought that she would suck every bit of life out from you because it did not cost her anything extra.

Your ex-boss had been forced to set her straight when she had seen the 8 different layouts, that the client had not trashed, which would had been smart thing to do in the sense of destroying the discriminating evidence, before someone from the company came to get the laptop and finish the job. The replacing employee had taken those illustrations to the boss and she had immediately called the client, cancelled the discount but she could not swallow her pride and offer you your job back instantly because you had had the nerve to criticize her managing style. Not until there was no other way out from the mess that had formed during those long 12 weeks.

You were home in your pajama just washing dirty clothes when your ex-boss called. You had not erased her work number from your phone and when your phone kept ringing more than just for a moment, you decided to answer but you also knew that she was desperate. She needed you to answer the call; that was the reason she did not hang up after few ring-rings like she usually did.  
\- (Y/N).  
\- Hello, sorry to invade your day like this, I know that we did not end things too well…  
\- Just say it, I know that you’re desperate…  
\- I am no-  
\- You are. I am the last person you would call, unless…  
A silence followed.  
\- Fine! If you need to feel some kind of superiority and find amusement of my situation then fine. Yes, I am pretty desperate.  
\- Okay. What’s going on?  
\- I saw the illustrations, all 8 of them. she said. You could hear from the tone of her voice that she agreed that your layout-suggestions had been good but did not want to admit it to you or the fact that the client had been only using you.  
\- And?  
\- They were not bad…  
\- Okay, you know what, suddenly I came up with 100 different, more interesting things that I could be doing at the momen-  
\- Please, do not hang up. I really need your help.  
After that you two managed to talk to each other in a civilized manner and settled a meeting for afternoon, the ex-boss had even said that you were most welcome to visit the office anytime today, as long as it was in the afternoon. This finally confirmed it to you; she was truly desperate because usually she always had a precise timetable for everything and there was no flexibility with her. When the call was over you texted Michael and told him about the phone call.

“That is great, but what about our plans to leave London together?”

You had been seeing each other regularly, gone out together and Michael had even talked about you in few interviews when he had been asked about you but you had decided together to keep things private between you two. Neither of you wanted to read all about it on the headlines but then again, it was better to set things straight before the rumors grew and became the “truth”. It was always so much harder to change the generally accepted “truth” than to stop the lies from becoming “truth” in the first place. There had been some nasty rumors about you, some people who had not even known you had tried to earn money by presenting themselves as your closest friends, but luckily everything they had claimed had been easy to set straight.

You had been talking about leaving London together. Now that you did not have a job, like Michael had said, you had the entire world open to you. In 3 months you had kind of decided that you would go with him and surely puzzle pieces would fall into places eventually. It was almost the last week of May and you had been planning to fly in the States in mid-June, 2 weeks after Michael who had to be there already on the first of June.

Michael had even said that he will hire you as his assistant or something if nothing else came up and he did not really want anything else to come up, unless it was something that you could do from the distance via Internet; remote work. Luckily that was completely possible in your line of work. Every time he had suggested that you would become his assistant, you had rolled your eyes and the situation had developed into a heated battle of reasons against and for his help. You did not want to be a charity case and but Michael did not see it like that all. He wanted to help and he wanted you to go with him.

Besides when you were stressed out, you got annoyed about stupid little things. However the battles usually ended with intense making out sessions that then sometimes led into bedroom, on the kitchen counter or on sofa, which neither of you had minded at all. But he did not enjoy seeing you stressed out and it was something he had seen a lot lately. You had managed to get some freelance –projects so your financials were rent-wise okay, although you hated it when you went somewhere with Michael and he always paid. That was one of those things that you fought as well sometimes. Again; you did not want to be the charity case and Michael did not see it like at all. All he wanted to do was to pamper you a little and knowing that he got paid a ridiculously high sum of money for basically doing nothing sometimes, he wanted to use some of it to make you feel appreciated. He cursed that you were so headstrong and independent, but on the other hand he appreciated it too.

You had been taking a bit more private space for both of you just to be able to miss each other sometimes. Neither of you wanted to get bored or start to take each other for granted especially if you were going to leave London and spend time in the filming location together. You knew that Michael would most likely be very busy and you would not be together all the time, but you did not want to risk it; you were quite independent person so living with someone, even with as charming as Michael, kind of freaked you out a little. You still went out and saw each other many times a week, but you had not been continuously “living together” since you had gotten better from the flu. Besides it made the times when you spent the night in same place and in the same bed so much exciting and you both really looked forward to those occasions, even when you were just sleeping.

So Michael knew that you were stressed out, he could feel the tension in your shoulders when he touched you and you even talked about it to him time to time. To relieve some of that stress he had decided to invite you for a nice dinner at his place and then stay over. You were supposed to go to his place in the afternoon after his interview but you had to now reschedule your time or arrival a bit later.

“I will meet the ex-boss in the afternoon and will come to your place right after it. Nothing has changed!”

You replied to his message and then started to get ready for the meeting. It was noon already and you did not want to get into the afternoon traffic-jam. You put on stylish clothes that communicated strength, independence and that you were basically doing great without the bloody job. Then you fixed your face and did your hair with the same principles.  
You arrived to the office at 15:30 where you were greeted by your former colleagues, or some of them at least. You managed to talk with them for a few minutes before you were welcomed further. You heard that the situation had gotten pretty bad after you had left and the amount of pressure that had been put on the shoulders of some certain employees had finally driven them away, only a week after you had left. The company had hired a couple of new dudes but one of them had quitted almost instantly because he could not work under a woman, especially under a woman like the boss, and the other was still hanging and trying to learn the thing that the company did; the services and the product, the clients and how to face them.

You walked to the office that looked exactly the same as it had looked when you had been there before.  
\- Please, sit down. the ex-boss said. You sat down. There was no need to shake hands with her or waste time with meaningless small talk so she cut to the chase immediately, which you appreciated very much. It meant that you got to go to Michaels place sooner.  
She offered you your old job but you refused the offer. You said that you were going to leave town in just few weeks but if she needed a freelancer to work remotely, that you could do. However you made sure that she understood that you were not willing to work for her in the traditional sense. You would be willing to provide services, participate in projects remotely and decide your own hours according to your own judgment. It was a take-or-leave-it –kind of deal which your ex-boss was not exactly happy to accept but she really did not have a choice.   
When the meeting was over she asked  
\- Are you still seeing that… famous guy?   
She knew exactly who the famous guy was but she did not want to sound jealous or like it was a big deal. It was not a big deal but some of the people you knew had gone crazy about it, but the way your not-boss put it was almost ridiculous. She could had just asked “Michael”. The “famous guy”, who was actually pretty normal guy, had a normal-guy-name and the name was Michael.  
\- Yes and he is the reason why I am leaving London for some time.  
\- Uhuh, I see. How has the life of an unemployed sluggard has treated you? You look better than the last time…  
\- It has been funny to have so much free time. I have been working as a freelancer so I have not been a complete loser and Michael has been quite time-consuming. you joked and chuckled. Your not-boss chuckled a little as well.  
\- Well… That is good. So, I will prepare a contract for you according to the things that we agreed on and send it to you via email. You can then read it trough and sign it with your online banking identification.

The quality that you respected in her was that she kept her word and if you agreed about something with her, the agreement was exactly as agreed. There were no wiggles or twists to shake things up, mostly because she wanted to avoid being sued for altering the contract and wasting time rewriting the contract after the client had pointed out that it did not match the content of verbal agreement.  
\- Alright.  
\- Good to have you back onboard. she said with a neutral tone.  
You stood up and offered your hand for a handshake. She stood up and took it and after shaking her hand as a sign of truce, you left. When you were at the doorway going out from her office, she said  
\- (Y/N)…  
You stopped and turned around. You asked “uhuh?” as you stared at your boss who was typing something again. She did not shift her gaze from the screen either stopped typing but she said  
\- They were good.  
You answered “thank you” and then left the room.

Then you wanted to get quickly to Michaels place, however as long as you were at the office you did not want to show any signs of being overjoyed. But when you got to the parking lot you basically started to run to the closest bus stop so you could reach his apartment as fast as possible and share the news with him. He sent you a message asking  
“How did it go?”  
but you did not answer. You wanted to tell him face to face that you kind of got your old job back but could work remotely, which meant that leaving London in mid-June got the green light for good. He sent you a message  
“??”  
and after that one  
“You’re killing me with all this suspense!”  
to which you only answered  
“Patience! I am almost there!”

And so you were. You hopped off the bus after roughly 20 minutes and basically ran to ring the summer. Michael buzzed you in and opened the door to you when you knocked his door. When he opened it you jumped to embrace him and surprised him completely. He pushed you against the door after he had closed it and attacked your lips. You kissed him passionately, feeling the muscles of his arms flexing, tensing and relaxing according to his movements as your lips explored his. You nibbled his lower lip and caressed his cheeks. He pressed your upper back firmly against the door as he pulled your hips against his so you were slightly bent backwards. You raised your leg and rubbed it against his thigh. He sank his fingers into your hair and moved to kiss your neck, or more like devoured it with an open mouth and also nibbled the sensitive skin under your ear as well as your earlobe, which made you moan softly into his ear. He pressed one more kiss on your lips before letting you go. As soon as his breathing had calmed down a little he commented  
\- I take that it went well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter dedicated to Lovelygirl2406 . I hope you liked it :)  
> Thank you for your comment!
> 
> \- Venla :)


	15. Stress relieving

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Smut
> 
> If you do not want to read smut, then skip this. Nothing really happens.  
> \- Reader tells the news to Michael  
> \- Dinner together  
> \- Michael calls himself your boyfriend

You did not answer Michael yet. You wanted him to squirm for a little while. You just winked your eye at him and took off your jacket and shoes. Gosh it was amazing to be without your shoes. You had decided to put on your high heels because they made you feel confident but after wearing them and walking on them for a while your feet really had started to hurt. You followed Michael into the kitchen and leaned onto the kitchen counter.  
\- So? he asked after a moment and leaned to face you on the opposite side as he supported himself with his elbows in the same way that you did. Your faces were quite close to each other and you could feel him reading you and your expressions.  
\- Well… She offered me my old job back.  
\- Oh? he commented and tried to hide the fact that he had no idea what it meant; he knew that you had been stressing out about money and getting your old job back must have been a relief but where did it leave him and your plans together?  
\- But I turned her down. you said.  
\- I am sure that… it was the right thing to d-  
\- However… I will be working with her, remotely as a freelancer.  
\- Remotely?  
\- Yes. I told her that I am leaving London soon but since there are applications like Team Viewer and Skype, there is no reason why I would not be able to get stuff done “from the distance”.  
\- So… does it mean that you’re actually coming with me?  
\- Yes. That is exactly what it means.  
Michael looked relieved. He tried to mask it, but the feeling was just too strong. You examined the look on his face and then chuckled slightly when you realized that he had been worried about the whole thing; how your meeting would affect him and your plans.

\- What? Were you worried? you exclaimed and stared into the depths of his eyes.  
\- If you must know, yes. I know that you want to be financially independent, which I respect although I do not necessarily agree with you in a great extent-  
\- We have talked about this. I am an adult, yes?  
\- Yes.  
\- And it is a big part of the adul-  
\- Adulthood to be able to provide… yes I know. You just have been so stressed out lately, and therefore I was not sure if you jumped into the first real job offer that you get and accept it no matter what other plans there might-  
\- Seriously? Ha-ha! As if! The only reason I am willing to work with her is because she agreed to my terms of being a remote freelancer, a consultant more like. I am working with her, not for her and there is a difference. I turned her offer of rehiring me down, remember? If she had not agreed my terms I would had thanked her and told her to suck it.  
\- Yes, I know I am being ridiculous. Very un-manly even-  
\- Hey! I like it when you care for me.  
\- I have been worried. You have been tensed up… but… since I am such a wonderful boyfriend-  
\- Boyfriend, eh?  
\- …I will pamper you and we’ll get rid of that stress. Do you know what is the greatest stress-reliever?  
\- Do tell.  
\- Your lovers tongue-  
\- Oh, not a boyfriend after all? you teased.  
\- Lover, boyfriend, all the same, shush! I am trying to turn you on.  
\- Oh, well in that case, go on?  
\- Where was I?  
\- Tongue?  
\- Yes… Tongue… I have been thinking about how to use it… more effectively.  
\- Alright?  
\- And I realized that I have not been granted the privilege to pleasure you with it the proper way.  
You cleared your throat.

\- So you’d better start getting aroused because I want to taste you tonight. I know you are going to love it and that’s why I am going to give it to you slowly. By tomorrow morning all of your stress will be gone.  
He examined your face and noticed how the smile left your face, how you swallowed once as a blush covered your cheeks. Your skin was flushed, not just on your cheeks but suddenly it felt like the room temperature had risen 15 degrees Celsius. Michael continued staring at you intensely and enjoyed seeing you trying to keep yourself cool and your breathing calm.  
\- I would like to do the same thing to you. you responded. It was something that you had not dared to do before but the thought of slowly driving Michael insane from lust had been on your mind as well.  
\- Tell me more. he said and kept staring into your eyes.  
\- I have been thinking about it when I have been touching myself. I’ve been trying to imagine what you taste like and what your hard, thick… length would feel against my lips as I would caress the tip with my tongue in the hot deep depths of my mouth. you said teasingly. You did not really know how to “talk dirty” but now you had to let him taste his own medicine.

\- Oh I see… You have been thinking about it. And I am very pleased to hear that you think about me when you are all alone in your bed and cannot sleep. That is the moment when your hand slides down, stopping on your beautiful breasts at first then continuing lower, rubbing first on your panties and then finally when you start getting deliciously wet, you allow yourself to caress yourself until you come, while imagining that it is me who is touching you. Tell me, do you have a special toy to fill you up when I am not there? Does it give you the same kind of pleasure?  
Suddenly the timer went off. Michael leaned back and mumbled “do not go anywhere” and then turned his back on you as he took the food out from the oven. He was making bacon-filled chicken breasts with rice and fried long green beans that were just the right amount of crunchy. You put your hand on your cheek and felt that it was burning hot but this time it was not because of fever, you were getting highly aroused because you had not been touched by Michael for some time now, almost 4 weeks because the mood had not been right; there had been stress and Michael had had a tight schedule.

The table had been set and Michael asked you to take the salad from the fridge as he rinsed the rice so it did not get clumped together. He lifted the chicken to the table as well as the rice and then motioned you to sit. He sat down as well. The food was amazing. It was creamy and rich in flavor. The bacon complimented the chicken as well as the mushrooms that had been fried with the bacon and now served with the green beans. You both had a couple of glasses of wine and the atmosphere got even more relaxed. You laughed with Michael when he told about an awkward interview that he had had the other day and finally you helped him to clean the table.

After it was done you walked into the living room and sat down on the sofa. You stretched your back and neck and massaged the place where your neck met your shoulder with careful motions. The stress had really gone to your muscles making them stiff and sore sometimes. Michael followed you and sat down next to you but then said  
\- Come, let me. and motioned you to sit on the edge of the sofa, slightly turned away from him. He turned himself to the same direction so he was able to massage your shoulders carefully and aware of the fact that they were really sore. You breathed in and out calmly and tried to relax your muscles. His fingers worked on you skillfully and you could feel your tensions melt.

\- I will run a bath for us. I think that warm water to warm up your muscles and some massage oil is what you need now. he said and pressed a kiss on your cheek. He stood up and walked into the bathroom. He had both; the shower and the bath. He usually used the shower but bathtub was a nice addition for moments like these.  
He filled the tub with very hot water and added some luxurious bath oil so a mild but very relaxing scent filled the room. You were leaning to the doorway and watching him curiously, secretly admiring his attention to detail; how he had gotten 2 big towels ready, how he kept checking the temperature of the water and poured a small amount of that precious oil on the surface of it. He had even lighted a few candles and put the bottle of massage oil in the warm water to get ready for your massage. He took one evaluating glance and then turned to face you.  
\- All set? you asked.  
\- Yes… All I need now is to undress you.

He came closer and put his hands on your cheeks. He leaned in to kiss you and then slowly pulled your bolero jacket off your shoulders, but did not let it fall off completely, he had not opened the buttons in the sleeves so the jacket got stuck to your wrists. He caressed the skin with his fingertips and massaged your arms gently as the sleeves of the bolero locked your hands on your sides and prevented you from moving your arms. The bolero felt like gentle chains and made your imagination run wild. Michael kept caressing your collarbones and neck as he deepened his kiss.  
His hands moved lower and after slowly caressing your sides and your back patiently, he moved his hand on your breast and massaged it gently over your clothes. Then he reached to unzip the sleeveless, strapless dress and slowly pulled it lower so it revealed your bra. He parted his lips from yours and stepped a little further away, just so he could take a look at you, slowly from head to toes. Then he returned to undress you by pulling the dress slowly lower until it slid to your ankles on its own.

He moved his lips from yours onto your neck where he devoured the skin and occasionally biting it gently. He massaged the skin with his tongue and nibbled your earlobe. His fingers traced your curves and sometimes disappeared under the fabric of your bra. He ignored your nipples although you would had loved to feel him rubbing, teasing, caressing and even pinching them but the pleasure was not granted to you yet.  
\- I want to take one good look at you before I shall remove your chains. he said and pulled back. You were wearing the most beautiful underwear you had because you had wanted to surprise Michael. You had guessed, or more like hoped, that the evening would lead into this eventually; him undressing you slowly and touching every bit of skin he exposed.  
. How does it feel to be completely mine? he asked with a seductive, soft tone. He looked at you and bit the knuckle of his index finger and grinned at you mischievously.  
\- Beautiful underwear, by the way, although I think it would look better on the floor, don’t you think?  
\- I think you should release my hands and let me undress you before the bath gets cold.  
\- Oh, don’t worry, I would not get into the water yet anyway, it is too hot. I knew I would like to take my time with you before the bath. Shall we see how aroused you are already?  
You chuckled slightly because you knew that you were very wet already, it was almost embarrassing but you knew that he liked it. He liked the fact that your body could not resist him and that he could make you feel tingly between your legs up to the point that you actually tried to shift yourself a little just to gain some relief for the need you had for him.  
He came closer and traced the edge of your panties with his fingers and as you thought he would surely pull them off, he moved his fingers on your lower lips and stroked them through the fabric. He was careful not to add any pressure so what he was doing was only adding to your flushed state of being a hot mess waiting to melt away. Finally he added some pressure as he engaged your gaze with his intense stare. You bit your lip as you felt your arousal seeping though the fabric making his fingers a little slick.  
\- I do not think I have felt you this wet before. Is it because you cannot move your arms? Do you like being tied like this? I bet you do. he asked and then slipped his hand under the fabric. You closed your eyes and leaned against the wall just to keep yourself steady, a soft moan escaped your lips. He did not move his fingers at all. You swallowed once and opened your eyes.

\- Tell me, why does this turn you on so much? Is it because you are independent and in-control of your life so you grave being controlled for once? Is it because you like the excitement of not knowing what’s going to happen? he asked and moved his fingers a little. You shook instantly and as a reaction started to move your hips so you were able to rub yourself against his fingers.  
\- Yes! you moaned and slowly grinded yourself against his hand. Then he suddenly, just as you had found the right way and pace, took his hand away from his reach just before you were about to come,which made you to sigh out of deep frustration.  
\- Can you please let me undress you now? you asked when you had first calmed down a little.  
\- Sure. he said and opened the buttons of your sleeves that had locked the bolero to your wrists. He put the bolero to hang and then looked at you with a smirk.  
\- Do you have any idea how sexy you look and feel? he asked suddenly. You chuckled and grabbed the hem of his shirt. It was your turn and you were going to make most of it. Without a warning you pulled the shirt over his head in a way that it locked his arms the same way.  
\- Now let’s see how well you’ll take the same kind of treatment. you said and attacked to caress his bare chest. You skipped the light brushes and started to massage his muscles gently but still with a certain level of firmness and confidence. You however were not that patient and soon your hands traveled lower. You rubbed him against his jeans and felt his flesh responding to your touch. Then you opened his belt and the buttons of his jeans. He stared at you almost hypnotized and moaned when you slid your hand under the fabric of his boxers. He had not expected it. You rubbed the warm, slightly hardened member and then stopped just as he had started to pant more.

\- Cruel, isn’t it? you chuckled.  
You pulled his jeans down as well as his boxers. They had to go. Then you pushed him to lean on to the wall as you wrapped your hand around his length. You kept your grip tight but gentle as you started to move your hand with a steady pace until he was hard.  
\- I think I am going to make you come now. you said and smirked at him mischievously. You kissed his chest and traced his abs with your tongue as you kept going lower, your hand slowly jerking him off keeping him on the edge of almost coming, but not just there yet.  
\- Do you think about me when you do this to yourself? you asked and looked at him with a demanding look on your face.  
\- Yes. Oh, god, yes. he panted.  
\- Good. you stated and then got on your knees. You stopped moving with your hand as you took one long lick first and then teased the tip with your hungry lips and with the tip of your tongue. Michaels arms were still trapped and all he could do was to wait and see what you were going to do. You opened your mouth and took his tip in, wrapped your hand around his length and then started to move again. You kept keeping him there, right on the edge; always slowing down and sometimes stopping completely.  
You licked him, sucked his hard flesh and took him as deep into your hot, wet mouth as you could as your hand kept stroking him and your other hand kept him against the wall by pressing his lower stomach firmly. He would had wanted to start thrusting himself but you kept him from doing so. Then you stopped and removed both, your hand as well as your mouth from his flesh.

\- I am I dripping… I think we should not waste it, huh? you asked and helped him to get his jeans off his ankles. You sat him down on a bench that he had in the bathroom and then sat on his lap. He watched you mesmerized, still unable to move his hands. You rubbed yourself against his hardness teasingly before starting to lower yourself on him.  
Michael was large, that you knew already, but he had never felt this large because you had not been stretched at all. All you had was your wetness and desire to fill yourself up with him. You did not kiss him, not yet. You wanted to see it in his eyes just how good you felt. Inch by inch you took him deeper, sometimes stopping completely because it felt like you were not going to be able to take it.

\- Doesn’t this hurt you? he panted and fought the orgasm that was clearly building fast. Instead of answering you slammed your lips against his and locked them into a heated kiss. When he was completely in, you started to grind yourself and move slowly. You raised yourself and almost let him to slip out but instead of that you lowered yourself onto him all the way rapidly. This you repeated a couple of times before continuing the circular grinding-motions that allowed a little bit friction to your clit as well.  
Michael panted and moaned, begged you to release his hands so he could touch you, but you did not release them. You continued kissing his neck and moving yourself with increasing pace until you felt him shaking, holding his breath for a moment and then he collapsed to your arms and buried his face into your neck. You slowed down and held him close, then slowly raised yourself up and released his arms.

\- I think I deserve a long back massage now. you chuckled, took off your bra and panties and then got into the warm water. It felt heavenly against your muscles and soothed the burning sensation that you were experiencing from the stretch. Michael got into the path with you, sat behind you and pulled you to lean against his chest.  
\- Relax. he whispered and started to massage your shoulders after applying some warmed up oil on his palms. He moved slowly from your shoulders to your neck, guided you to lean forward so he could massage your spine all the way from your neck to your lower back. His fingers were skillful indeed. They worked the tensions out and made you feel loved and deeply relaxed. He massaged your arms, including your palms and fingers and then returned to your shoulders.

Michael crossed his arms on your chest and pressed you firmly against himself. You felt his chest rising and falling slowly and yours did the same in perfect unison. Then he started to brush your skin once more. He slid his hands on your chest in a very calming way and then started to caress your breasts again. He was gentle and took his time to appreciate every area that he could reach before beginning to tease you. He pinched your nipple softly which woke you up from your thoughts. He nibbled your earlobe and mumbled into your ear between the nibbles  
\- Oh I cannot wait to taste you. I cannot wait to see you squirming under my touch.  
  
His voice was soft and he was practically whispering into your ear which made you shiver with anticipation as he rubbed your nipples with his both hands, sometimes gently massaging the entire breasts slowly. Then he pulled you to sit a little bit more straight so he was able to reach your most sensitive parts. He stroked your outer lips at first before pressing his fingers any further.  
\- Spread your legs for me. he said and kissed your neck. You followed his instructions and got mentally ready for him to touch. He moved his fingers slowly, fully aware of the previous stretch so he was careful not to touch your entrance yet. Only when you were begging him to do it. He started to rub your clit which made you moan. He stopped every time when your breathing got too shallow or your moans too loud. It was not that he did not want to hear you moan, because he did, making you moan was his sole purpose in the whole world but he wanted to bring you to the edge many times so when you finally did come, it was going to be intense; yet another research he had read earlier.  
\- Shall we move to bed? he asked and removed his fingers for good. You opened your eyes and bit your lip.  
\- Oh, don’t worry, you will come. I haven’t even started yet. he stated.  
Michael helped you to step out from the tub, blew off the candles and then dried the most of the water droplets off your skin. He did the same for himself and then led you into the bedroom by your hand. You crawled on the bed and lay down on your back.

\- Now… I am not going to tie you up, although I must say that I am fascinated about the idea, but I lack the necessary tools at the moment. Let’s just agree that you’ll do as I say. When you do, I will not tease you so much, if you don’t… well… Let’s just say that I know how to make you beg and I also know how to leave you frustrated. Do we have a deal? he asked as he stared at you intensely, laying on his bed, in a half-sitting position.  
\- Very well. you answered and felt getting aroused just from the idea of letting him to tell you what to do. It was very rare that anyone gave you orders and the thought of being able just to let the other person to “figure it out” was a big turn on by itself. You did not have to think whether you were supposed to be doing something. It was enough that you just focused on feeling and being touched.

\- Lay back comfortably, put a pillow under your butt, will you. he said and tilted his head a little. He was enjoying the moment very much. You did as he asked and then put your hand above your head on the pillow. You encouraged your mind and touched your breast with your other hand.  
\- Yes… that is good. I like that. he said and stared at you almost in a predatory way.  
\- Spread your legs. he continued. You bent your legs and supported them by locking your soles of your both legs firmly against the mattress. Michael moved a little so he was standing just opposite from you, by the bed. He liked the view very much.  
\- How about you show me how you please yourself and make yourself wet again.  
That was the end of your courage. You closed your legs as a reaction. Michael got to the bed, crawled on his all fours to you and forced you to open your legs again by placing himself between them.

\- I am not going to give you my tongue before you’re hot and wet for me. he said and stared deep into your eyes. You needed him to touch you and if touching yourself was what you had to do then you had to do it. You slid your hand between your legs and started to caress yourself. Michaels gaze did not leave your eyes. He did not touch you, not yet, but he watched you biting your lip as your breathing got shallower and turned into small gasps.  
\- Don’t stop. he said and slid his fingers on the skin of the hand that you were pleasuring yourself with. He pressed a soft kiss on your lips before pressing soft kisses down the same path that his fingers had just taken. He was kissing the back of your hand but you did not dare to stop, besides, you were getting too close to your orgasm to stop now. Michael however did not want you to come like that, not by your own hand when you had him to give it to you. He stopped your hand, signed you to remove it and then kissed your inner thigh.

\- Put your hands under the pillow. he ordered. You had agreed to follow his instructions so there was no turning back now.  
He liked the position you were in; your legs spread wide open in front of him and the pillow lifting you up a little so you were really offering yourself to him. He kissed your thigh again and then pressed his tongue against your clit. You were dripping under his skillful tongue as he licked you slowly, sometimes using his entire tongue and sometimes teasing you with the hardened tip of it. He sometimes took your clit between his lips and sucked it and sometimes he devoured your hot flesh like he had been kissing your mouth deeply. You moaned and panted, begged him to let you come but every time he saw you nearing the orgasm, he slowed down and stopped. It was the payback for the state of constant “almost, but not nearly there” you had kept him in.  
\- Would you like to feel my fingers deep inside? he asked.  
\- Yes!  
\- We’ll begin with one and if that is not enough for you, I shall give you two-  
\- Okay… just… get on with it! you moaned. He had been denying you the orgasm so many times that you did not care anymore if your inner walls were still sore of the surprise stretch. Michael teased your entrance with his finger and then slid it in.  
\- How is that?  
\- Not enough! you panted. For your pleasure he pulled the finger out and pressed 2 of his fingers in.  
\- How about now?  
\- One more, please! you begged.  
\- Quite eager, are we? he chuckled and started to thrust his fingers in and twist them when they were deep inside you. 

When he had massaged your inner walls by thrusting, twisting, rubbing and moving them inside you in as he had been motioned you to come closer, he finally pulled his fingers out and gave you 3 like you had asked him to. He returned to pleasure you with his tongue and basically with his entire mouth when he thrust all 3 long fingers inside you. This time he was not going to stop, unless you asked him to, but you did not. You squeezed the pillow as Michael continued assaulting your sensitive areas and locked you against the bed with his free hand.  
His thrusts were deep and intense. His tongue was both hard and soft, depending on how he used it. When he felt you starting to clench around his fingers, he started to suck your clit until you collapsed back on the bed, against the pillows. He kept milking your orgasm until you shook every time you even brushed your sensitive areas with his lips softly or moved his fingers inside you.

The amount of pleasure was almost painful, but only in the most delicious ways, especially because it just went on and on. You were completely spent and relaxed, although every touch sent small shocks all over your body and made you shake uncontrollably. Then he finally stopped, pulled his fingers out and returned to kiss you, hovering over you on his all fours. He guessed that you were too sore for anything else so he was quite ready to stop.  
\- Give me just a moment to catch my breath…  
\- Shush… he said and smiled at you.  
\- No “shush”… just kiss me… you said and pulled him closer. He was careful not to cause friction between your legs because the least thing he wanted was to hurt you or demand too much from you. You felt his lips gently kissing yours, exploring them with dedication. Michael had decided to keep the kiss sweet, innocent and gentle, but you still wanted to come with him inside you. You shifted yourself from that half-sitting position to lay down completely and then wrapped your legs around his waist. He had not expected that so he lost his balance and fell on you, between your legs.

\- Are you sure? he asked between kisses that had deepened and grown hungrier.  
\- Just move yourself against me. you whispered and shifted yourself so his resting flesh was touching you from the right place when he moved. Michael started to move slowly. He kept his movements slow, sensuous and intimate. You felt the familiar need building when he got hard against your hot, wet folds. When he felt that he was completely ready for entering you again, he stopped and looked into your eyes once before aligning himself to your entrance. You smiled and caressed his jaw and then wrapped your arms around him pulling him to kiss you.  
Slowly he entered you once more. He moved slowly with long, deep thrusts and then started to grind himself into you. He wrapped his arm around you and slipped his hand between your bodies. He caressed your breasts and then slid the hand between your legs where he moved his fingers in circular, slow motions against your clit. It did not take long for you to reach your orgasm again. The whole feeling was very intense; being in his arms, being one with him, listening to his breathing and feeling his heartbeat on your skin. You felt loved and cherished, completely alive, electrified. You wrapped yourself completely around him and surrounded him so he could lose into your depths as well.

The orgasm was not the kind that would hit you hard and shake your core. It was not the kind that comes with lustful quick actions but that kind that comes only when you trust someone completely, the kind that makes you feel like you were entirely connected with the other person. It was like a warm wave that washed over both of you forcefully but still gently, unlike a wild fire that burns everything on its path and leaves nothing but ruins.  
After he had come, he stayed in your arms, panting and then falling asleep. You held him close and let yourself drift away as well with the peaceful, steady sound of Michaels breathing and feeling his heartbeat inside you. You were one, inseparable; physically, mentally and emotionally.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will dedicate this chapter to Angel_Style  
> You're awesome!


	16. The flashback

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, was not really done with the smut after all...
> 
> So... smut. Skip it if you cannot take it :D
> 
> What you miss plot-wise is basically taking Michael to the airport and getting home. So yes, fast forward 2 weeks from the previous chapter. Sorry... this chapter skipping must be getting boring... Don't worry, next chapter will be a "clean plot-developing" chapter.

After a week Michael had to fly to the States. You went to the airport with him to say goodbyes and to help him with the luggage. It was a sunny day in London but your mind was slightly shadowed by the fact that you were not going to see Michael for 2 weeks. It was not a long time but time always felt moving slower when you were waiting for something.  
\- Are you sure that you have everything with you? you asked and straightened his slightly wrinkled tie.  
\- No, not everything.  
\- What? What did you forget? I think I could still have time to get it quickly for-  
\- No, it’s nothing like that.  
\- What is it then? I mean you will not get into the States if you forgot your passport…  
\- It’s you. he said and smiled almost shyly.  
\- Me? Aww, that is so very sweet of you but I will be flying after 16 days so you’ll be alright. But are you sure that you have your passport?  
Michael went through his pockets and the look on his face changed. He looked at you with wide eyes and then when your face changed into something very worried, he pulled the passport out from the inside pocket of his jacket. He burst into laughter.

\- You are mean! You know that! you exclaimed and murdered him with his eyes. Your expression made him laugh even more. In his opinion you were so cute when you were doing funny faces or playfully getting upset. However his time was up and he had to proceed to the security check. Before he left you he cupped your face and kissed you quite passionately. You had not expected him to do so in public but there he was, basically devouring your lips and sensually assaulting your mouth with his tongue. By the time he was done your knees had melted. Then he hugged you and whispered into your ear  
\- Now, be a good girl and go home and take a mental replay of this morning. I am sure that you’re quite aroused from kissing me… it would be shame to waste it. Go home, get into bed and slide your fingers between your legs and then pleasure yourself until you’ll come. I will be imagining you… panting, moaning, trembling as you come. Oh, the mere thought is enough to make me hard…  
You held your breath and swallowed once as you replayed the morning in your head. Then he really had to go. He released you from his embrace and then smirked at you mischievously, took the bag that he was going to take into the cabin and walked away. Suddenly he stopped and turned. He winked his eye at you and said loudly  
\- I’ll see you soon!

You raised your hand as a goodbye and after you could not see him anymore, you turned around and left the airport. You took a bus home and there was no way you could had distracted your mind from the morning. You were so deep in your thoughts that you almost missed your stop completely. You pressed the stop-button and then stepped out when the bus stopped. You hurried home and returned your bed. There in the comfort of your own bed you hugged the pillow that Michael had used and breathed in his scent. You closed your eyes and took a mental trip back to the morning.

You had woken up before Michael. He was still deep asleep so you had turned off the alarm and decided to wake him up yourself. He had been completely naked just like you due to the lovemaking of previous night so you had kissed the muscles of his chest, getting lower to his stomach and finally disappeared under the blanket where you had first caressed his thighs before touching his member. You had monitored his breathing and made sure that he was still asleep when you had begun.

You had taken his member that was very large even fully relaxed into your hand and then slid your tongue from the base all the way to the tip with one slow lick. You had chuckled silently when you had imagined if what you were doing came into his dreams, at least he had not been showing signs of waking up just yet. You repeated the previous and then concentrated to tease the sensitive spot right near the tip.  
He had started to get hard at that point and you had decided to take him into your mouth, as deep as you could. First you had kissed the tip and wrapped your hand around his length, then you had slowly slid the tip in your mouth and given yourself time to adjust to the idea of having him filling your entire mouth. At this point Michael had woken up. He had murmured with husky voice how good it felt you were doing and removed the blanket because he wanted to see you.

He had tangled his fingers into your hair and guided you gently to take him further in the hot, wet depths of your mouth. You had sucked him, licked him and caressed him, sometimes even fucked him with your mouth until he had come. He had panted and moaned your name as he had finally started to move his hips to get deeper and then he had let out a low groan and collapsed to the bed. You had continued until his member had returned to its relaxed state and swallowed every drop of him.  
\- Good morning. you had whispered with a sultry voice when you had returned to lay next to him. He had chuckled and after he had finally caught his breath and calmed down he had rolled on top of you and started to kiss you. His lips had moved on yours gently at first but then he had licked your lips with his tongue as a request to enter into your mouth.

You had denied him the pleasure of meeting your tongue with his first so he suddenly had moved his hand between your legs and as he had touched your clit, you had moaned softly and he had used this for his benefit. He had started to fuck your mouth with his tongue sensually as his fingers had teased your clit, sometimes only touching around it and then suddenly touched it almost like it had been an accident. However you had learned one thing about Michael; what he did in bed, was never an accident. It always served a purpose and usually the purpose was to either prolong your pleasure or drive you insane with need. There was no room for error or accidents for him when he was either pleasuring you or making love to you.

He had abandoned your lips and kissed your neck. He had nibbled your earlobe and bit gently the sensitive skin under it. It had caused you to shake a little. Then he had suddenly left the bed. You had stayed down and tried to collect your thoughts but he had returned before you had been able to do so. He was hiding something behind his back and that look that he had had on his face, had burned deep into your mind; a mischievous smirk, an intense look in his eyes that promised you that you were going to get it good.  
He had told you to sit up and you had done as he had asked you and watched him crawling on the bed. He was holding something inside his fist. Then when he was on his all fours right in front of you, he had opened his fist right in front of your face and revealed a narrow tie, the one that he had planned to wear with his suit today.  
He had sat down on your knees and asked you to give your hands. You had hesitated at first but after a couple of deep breaths and assuring stares from Michaels part, you had encouraged your mind and offered your hands to him. He had tied the tie around your wrists quite tightly, although he had made sure that it was not too tight, and then pushed you to lay down on your back. He had told you to keep your hands above your head at all times and he had kissed you once before moving lower to caress your breasts.

You had moaned when he had taken your nipple into his mouth and sucked it gently. He had massaged your breasts almost roughly and planted hot, wet openmouthed kisses all over your stomach and chest as he had changed his caressing style into light brushes that gave incredible contrast to the intense kisses that his mouth had provided you.  
He however had known that he had a tight schedule and there was no time to waste. He had moved lower to kiss your inner thigh and tease your opening with his fingers. He had slid three fingers inside without a warning which had made you shake out of pleasure mixed with the familiar burn of sudden stretch, however you had been basically dripping wet so the burn faded away quickly leaving you with the intense pleasure that had been only amplified when he had started to caress your clit with his mouth. He had used his entire tongue and then switched to use only the tip that had provided you small shocks of pleasure until you had come. This time he had not stopped although he would had loved to push you onto the edge without letting you fall and keep you there until you had begged him to make you come. 

That was what he had done the previous night. He knew that you loved it and he loved giving it to you slowly.  
In the morning however he had had no time for that so he had pleasured you until you had come and then returned to kiss you. He had lowered himself between your legs and started to move himself with increasing pace against your wetness and soon he had gotten hard again. He had grabbed tie with his other hand and kept your hands firmly above your head as he had muffled your moans with a deep, passionate kiss. Then, when he had gotten completely hard and ready to enter you, he had guided himself to your entrance and with one quick, deep thrust he had slid himself all the way in.

You had lifted your legs to provide him a better angle to get deeper and then you had wrapped your legs around his hips. He had asked if you could take his whole weight if he sacrificed the hand that he had supported himself with to caress your clit and you had moaned approvingly into his ear. He had let go of the tie for a moment as he had lifted himself up a little, just so he was able to place his hand between your bodies, right on your clit so now every time he moved, his fingers moved against your sensitive flesh. Now that he had placed his hand where you both had wanted it, he had carefully lowered himself on you and slid his hand under your shoulder so when he had grabbed the tie to hold your hands firmly above your head, he had been also kind of keeping you in his arms as well making the experience both safe and exiting for you both.

He had started to move his hips slowly at first but then soon increased the speed of his thrusts. In that position he was unable to pull himself out because he was so tightly against you, instead of the traditional in-out –motion he rocked himself into you, moving with you, staying almost completely all the way inside you at all times. As he had moved and rubbed your clit which was sensitive from the previous night and his tongue, it had not taken long for you to reach an orgasm again.  
He had felt your walls clenching around his hard flesh. He always enjoyed your tightness very much, mostly because even a small movement felt heavenly for him, even when he was not able to move that much. Your orgasm always added to your tightness which made his head spin as your walls almost like milked his member and begged it to give itself to you. He had sought support from the tie and pulled his hips back before slamming them against you and entering you with force. He had repeated it a few times and then he had reached his orgasm, collapsed on top of you to kiss your lips softly as he continued grinding himself slowly into you. When he had returned from the heights he had removed his hand from your clit and the other from the tie and wrapped them around you. You had slid your tied hands behind his neck and guided him to kiss you before he had released your hands and taken you into the shower with him.

There you had gently washed each other with slow, loving caresses and gotten lost into the warm embrace as the water had fallen softly on you. After that you had dried yourselves and gotten dressed. Michael had put on the suit and the tie, although the tie was now slightly wrinkled and after eating some brunch you had left you apartment. It had made sense to invite him over to your place before leaving because now he did not have to worry about the dishes and such.  
You were laying on the bed. Your breathing had turned shallow and you noticed that you were biting your lip all the time. You also felt that your underwear was getting damp from arousal. Then you remembered what Michael had said and decided to honor his suggestion, just in case he asked you later if and how you had given yourself a release.

You slipped your hand under your light, loose pants and first rubbed yourself over the fabric of your panties. Michael had been right, even kissing him, feeling his tongue dominating yours in the sweetest ways possible, had been enough to make you so aroused that it was seeping through the fabric of your panties. You did not grant yourself to touch you with the intensity that you needed but you continued teasing yourself. Just so you could drive him insane of lust and need for you if he asked. When you could not take it anymore, you pressed your fingers almost roughly against the fabric and gasped for air as the feeling sent shivers all over your body. You started to move your fingers slowly and enjoyed the feeling of the fabric against your clit, it made your touch feel unfamiliar to you which increased your state of arousal. You imagined that it was Michael and then after teasing yourself and denying yourself the release, you allowed yourself to get closer contact with your most sensitive parts.

You caressed yourself slowly, not allowing you to come easily, just like he never did, except this morning when there had been a flight to catch, but usually he took his time to build up such orgasms that left you breathless and surrounded your mind with soft haze. Finally you let yourself come. It was not even close to the satisfaction that your boyfriends skillful hands and tongue provided you, but it was enough to make you moan aloud so you had to muffle yourself with a pillow. After that you let yourself fall asleep feeling completely satisfied, all warm and tingly inside.

The next day, in the early afternoon Michael called you to let you know that he had gotten safely to the hotel where he was going to spend a couple of days before moving to the filming location. He had some interviews that he had to take care of before that. He had actually landed many hours ago but since there was the time difference, he had reasoned to call after he had managed to get some sleep and you had woken up. After chatting casually with him for about 20 minutes he finally asked you  
\- So… Did you do as I asked? he asked suddenly. You were having a creative break from your work so you had returned to bed, you were hugging Michaels pillow and breathing in his scent. For a moment you did not answer anything.  
\- Well? Come on, tell me. I need something to think about...  
\- I did. you answered.  
\- So… How was it? Were you wet like I suspected?  
\- I was…  
\- Good… Did you let yourself come instantly?  
\- No… I teased myself until I could not take the tease anymore. I imagined that it was you and I moaned your name…  
\- Oh, very good… Tell me more.  
\- I rubbed myself over my underwear at first, not allowing myself to touch myself directly until I was so aroused that I could feel my fingers getting all slick through my panties.  
\- Oh, I like that…  
\- Are you touching yourself right now?  
\- Ha-ha! No, not yet. I must leave in couple of minutes to an interview. he answered.  
\- But I will later… so go on, tell me. Do not leave any details out.  
\- I slid my fingers under the fabric, stroked the smooth skin at first and then pressed my index finger against my clit…  
\- How did it make you feel?  
\- Needy… very… needy…  
\- For what?  
\- For your tongue, your fingers inside me, twisting and rubbing me, preparing me for your long, thick, hard cock.  
\- I see… And did you come eventually?  
\- Yes…  
\- Was it good?  
\- Yes, but not as good as with you though. However all I could think about was you. I even moaned your name so loudly that I had to muffle myself with a pillow.  
\- Well, this pleases me very much. Listen I have to go now. I’ll call you later today, alright?  
\- You’d better! you said with a wide smile on your face, wished him a good day and then hung up. You returned to your work and chuckled when you realized that it was the first time you had ever talked about pleasuring yourself to someone. The more you thought about it, the more you blushed. However there was no time for blushing now, you had to get on with a project that you had promised to finish by 5 PM today.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter dedicated to Lovelygirl2406 and Catalina for staying with me (this story) this long.
> 
> I hope you liked it :D


	17. The date by the sea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You fly to the States where Michael is waiting for you at the airport.

During the following 2 weeks you concentrated on your work, you met the clients and your not-boss to discuss the forthcoming projects. You cleaned your place and packed your bags. Then it was time to go. You took a bus to the airport and got on the plane. After many long, boring hours up in the air you reached the airport where Michael was supposed to be waiting for you. 

You waited for your luggage but it did not come so you had to text Michael that you were going to be slightly late due to the luggage problem. You filed the reclamation and then concentrated on finding the right exit where you beloved boyfriend was waiting for you. You scanned the crowd of countless of faces and could not find him. You were tired and the air conditioning was not working properly at the airport so it was getting uncomfortably hot to drag your smaller bag that you had taken into the cabin and run around the never ending corridors. Finally you spotted a tall man, wearing a casual t-shirt with a very flattering v-shaped neckline and jeans that made his ass look very good, not that you had paid too much attention to it because you were more like an “eye-person” but having a cute butt did not hurt. He was wearing a hat and sunglasses that fitted him perfectly making him look almost like a model for some high quality cologne –advertisement, or maybe he was advertising jeans, he was really carrying the jeans well. He was waving at you and you sighed relieved.

When you had finally fought your way thought the sea of people you smiled widely and wrapped your arms around him as he welcomed you into his embrace. He leaned to kiss you and then asked  
\- How was your flight?  
\- It was slow and boring but very comfortable… Thank you for the ticket. First class, are you serious?  
\- My girlfriend travels always with style and comfortably.  
\- Ha-ha! Okay, well your girlfriend appreciates the gesture and consideration.  
\- You must be hungry and tired. Come, let’s go! he said and took your bag. He walked you to his car and drove you to the hotel where he had booked a night for you two. After taking a nap and a long, steamy shower together you got dressed and left the hotel for a dinner. Michael had made a reservation in a fancy restaurant. He did not usually like to go in such places but now he wanted to take you out with style.

When you got to the lobby you noticed that there were a couple of photographers because someone had tipped that Michael Fassbender was staying the hotel with his girlfriend. He held your hand tightly as you walked out to get the limousine he had rented for the evening. It was your first time in LA so he told the driver to take longer route so you were able to see some of the sights. You were approaching the ocean when the car stopped. It was almost the time for sunset and Michael had planned to enjoy a glass of sparkling wine with you at the end of the peer. He took a basket, told you to wait for a moment and got out from the car. He walked to the other side of the car and opened door for you.  
\- Well, thank you! you said with a smile on your face, however it faded away and changed into an expression of awe when you saw the ocean in front of you and the sun setting into the sea. It was hovering above the horizon and it was only a matter of 30 minutes when it would sink into the sea.  
\- What do you think?  
\- It’s… breathtaking!   
He took your hand and walked you to the end of the peer, took a bottle out from the basket as well as two glasses. He gave the glasses to you and opened the bottle. After pouring wine into the glasses he put the bottle away and took his glass. You both stood there silently and sipped the wine until your glasses were empty. Michael filled them again.  
\- I don’t remember if I have told you this before, but you are the most amazing woman I have ever met-  
\- Thank you! You are pretty damn incredible yourself-  
\- …I am so happy to have you here. I know it was only 2 weeks-  
\- 16 days plus traveling-  
\- …I love you. he said suddenly. He had planned a fancy speech for you but it felt very unnecessary now that you were there with him. The only thing that he had to tell you though, was that he loved you. He had been slightly troubled for not telling you earlier, since he had been in love with you almost from the beginning. First it had been just an attraction mixed with annoyance. Then Christmas had come and he had finally made a move. Now that he thought about it, he knew that when he had woken up on the Christmas day, the morning when you had been surrounded by the snowstorm and you had been forced to share the bed at your friends house, he had woken up, holding you and that had been the moment when he had fallen in love with you. He had not realized it back then but now thinking in retrospective, that was how it had happened. Then he had gotten scared because he had realized that he had fallen in love with you and it was going too fast. He had never told you that he loved you, he assumed that you knew because everything he had done after he had gotten you back had been for your best interest and you had been the first thing on his mind when he had woken up and then last thing when he had fallen asleep. You had governed the thoughts in between, sometimes so much that he had consciously pushed you to the background in his mind to be able to concentrate to interviews and other things.

You dissected those 3 small words in your mind and smiled into the horizon without realizing that you had been completely silent for a long time and not really answered him anything.  
\- Do you-uhm… love me? he asked hesitantly almost like he had been worried that you did not feel the same.  
\- Of course I do! Michael… I have never felt this strongly towards anyone. I know I haven’t said it aloud but… I do love you. I thought that you knew.  
\- I did… It is just nice to hear it…  
\- Alright… From now on I shall embarrass you in front of your friends by telling them how much I love my sweet honey-boo-boo-boo! you teased. Michael laughed and wrapped his arm around you, he pulled you closer so he could kiss you. Then you silently watched the final moments of the sunset while drinking the bottle of sparkling wine half-and-half. You felt the wine going into your head and it made you very talkative as well as giggly.   
The sun set a few minutes after 8 PM. When the sky started to turn from orange to blue you returned to the car. Your dinner reservation was at 9 PM so you had roughly 30 minutes to get there but since the restaurant was located nearby by the sea, there was no hurry.

When you got to the restaurant, Michael walked you in guiding you gently by putting his hand on your back and then told the host that he had a reservation with name “Smith” because he had not wanted anyone to tip the press. He escorted you to the table, helped you to sit down and then sat down as well. The table was on a balcony and there was an amazing view to the darkening horizon.  
\- So, Mr. Smith… Are we celebrating something? you asked. Michael smiled and laughed a little.  
\- Mrs. Smith, yes we are…  
\- Don’t tell me it’s your birthday, is it?  
\- No-no! it was in April…  
\- Was it? Why didn’t you tell me?  
\- We were out that night, singing karaoke, don’t you remember?  
\- That was your birthday? I am the most terrible girlfriend ever! I should had googled you!  
\- I see, you’re not that big of a fan that Garret told me. I don’t know whether I should be disappointed or no-  
\- Hey, I am the biggest freaking fan you have, don’t you ever forget that! you laughed.  
\- But… What are we celebrating now? you asked although your conversation had been derailed a bit.  
\- We are celebrating because you are here. he said and smiled almost shyly.  
\- Awww… Did you miss me? It was only 2 weeks and we talked almost daily on the phone!  
\- It is hardly the same thing to hold you and actually kiss you, feel you close and breathe in your scent.  
\- True, true… Good point. you said and put your hand over his. You loved the way he crossed his fingers with yours and caressed them by running his thumb on your knuckles and sometimes just brushing them with his fingertips. Now you were doing the same thing to him and it made him smile.

You ate 3-course-meal, danced a little and talked about everything until the host came to tell you that the restaurant was about to close. You were getting tired anyway and tomorrow it was time to leave LA and travel to the filming location where you were supposed to live in a sort of trailer park with all the other members of the cast and crew. It did not take long for you to fall asleep when you had returned to the hotel. You were happy to feel the familiar embrace again and even the fact that you did not sleep well in unfamiliar places, did not prevent you from getting a good night sleep. In the morning you went to get some breakfast together and then checked out from the hotel. Luckily your bag had been located and you had received a message that it would be delivered to you before noon.  
A driver was waiting for you in front of the hotel and helped your bags, now that you had gotten your lost luggage back. You sat on the backseat with Michael and looked out from the window as the car drew out from the city. After some a couple of hours you arrived to the filming location. The car parked and the driver took your bags. You had been organized to have your own trailer so you had your own Internet connection and privacy to work during the times when Michael was filming. You were of course most welcome to see the filming as well but you knew that you had to meet the certain deadlines now that you were working under a contract again.

You were taken to your accommodation and you got to settle in, you were also informed about how everything worked and when the breakfast, lunch and dinner times were. You were now part of the crew and entitled to the same things as them. After a moment there was a knock on your door that was open because you did not want to separate yourself from everybody else. It was Michael. You went out and smiled when you saw him in his filming costume.  
\- Well… Magneto, how may I help you?  
\- Ha-ha! I wanted you to meet my dear friend, James.  
You focused your gaze onto a blue eyed man who was extremely cute. He was also wearing his movie costume including a “bald-mask” that covered his hair. He smiled at you and then greeted you with Scottish accent which made you chuckle at first. You loved different accents and that was one most adorable ones that you had heard.  
\- Hi, I am James. You must be (Y/N). he said and offered his hand for a handshake. You gladly accepted it and shook his hand.  
\- Yes… I am and this is Michael, my honey-boo-boo.  
Michael blushed.  
\- He was complaining earlier that I do not tell him enough that I love him so I promised to embarrass him in front of his friends.  
\- Oh I see, well that is good. Maybe you’ll come up with a nickname for me too. he said and playfully winked his eye at you.  
\- Sure! you exclaimed and started to laugh. Michael was still fighting the blushing although it was almost invisible due to the makeup he was having on.  
\- Do you like bb-guns? James asked suddenly.  
\- No-no-no… I am sure (Y/N) is not interested in our stupid games. She is a responsible adul-  
\- Sure… Tell me a time and place and I will totally kick your asses. you said and smirked.  
\- Oh I like her already! James said and patted Michael on his shoulder. “Oh, this will be fun” you thought and made the “I am watching you” –gesture at both of the guys.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter dedicated to all of you who have left kudos, comments and read this far.
> 
> Especially to the ones who requested James into the mix :D


	18. Chat with James

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> James comes to keep you company and you two share a rather thought provoking conversation.

You went back into your trailer and started to do prepare some layouts for websites. The deadlines were getting closer and your stress levels were off the chart. You had managed to get yourself tangled with a client who was almost a clone of the one that had gotten you fired before. One of those cases who did not agree about anything with you and assumed that you had a magic button that you could just push and take the things that she wanted straight from the brain and transfer it as an image to the computer screen. You got an email from the customer and she was complaining about the font being too round. You groaned without noticing that there was someone standing at the doorway, staring you. You buried your face into your hands and rubbed your eyes while cursing aloud  
\- Fucking fuck-sucker, shit-head fucker, bloody ameba-

\- Ahem.  
You raised your head and saw James standing there and staring at you. He raised his hand as a greeting and then pointed at the chair opposite you. You gestured him to take a seat which he did immediately.  
\- I come bearing gifts. he said and brought you an ice cold bottle of water. He had one for himself too which he opened and emptied half-way with one long gulp.  
\- You must remember to drink… It’s quite hot day. he continued after enjoying the refreshing feeling that the water provided to him. It had indeed been a hot day but now it was getting cooler since the sun was almost down already.  
\- Yeah, thanks. you said, saved the work and turned the laptop off. You had been working for many hours and it was getting late. The sun had almost set and soon it was time for dinner. Michael had been busy training some fight scenes with the stunt coordinator and you had not seen him since he introduced you to James.  
\- Why were you cursing? he asked with a curious look on his face. You shifted your eyes from your laptop, which was on the table screen pressed down, into James and got completely blown away by his big, bright blue eyes that were practically sparkling like two gemstones. You leaned back in your chair and pressed the bottle against your forehead before opening it. Then you sighed and opened the bottle.

\- It’s just… work. you sighed and rolled your eyes unintentionally.  
\- What do you do? he asked and looked at you curiously. before you managed to answer he continued  
\- Don’t say, let me guess.  
You nodded and chuckled as you mumbled “okay, give it to me”. James was silent for a moment and stared at you with his observing eyes. He made mental notes about your way of talking, your clothes, style and the fact that you typed quite fast so it meant that you had a close relationship with the computer.  
\- Hmm… You could be a journalist because you look very smart and sharp, but then again… I do not see you sitting in boring press conferences and let’s face it, you are too smart for being an entertainment “journalist”… he continued and air-quoted the word “journalist” with his fingers. You smiled and pursed up your lips a little. He decided that his first guess was not correct. Or it really was no real guess, more like thinking aloud and narrowing the possibilities; process of elimination.

\- You seem too funny and honest to be a lawyer or in the insurance –business, so it really leaves me with… Internet… he said and tried to read your face for any clues. You chuckled a little and mumbled “I’ll be damned”.  
\- I design web pages and manage the content. you answered and smiled widely. You were impressed although it was possible that Michael had told him what you did for living.  
\- So it is Internet! James McAvoy comes, tackles, takes the ball and scores! he said and made some victory moves before opening his water bottle. You laughed. It felt so good to laugh and concentrate on something else than just the mind numbing computer screen.  
\- So why does your work make you curse like an old sailor? Bloody ameba? That was my all-time-favorite.  
\- Difficu- sorry, let me rephrase it, a challenging client. you answered and drummed the bottle with your nails as you were holding it in your hand. Then you took one sip, closed the cap and put the bottle back on the table.  
\- Oh I see, you’re one of those people who do not say “difficult” but “challenging”. he commented and smiled a little. He had a boyishly charming smile, there was no way to deny that you were slightly attracted to him, especially when he smiled. Besides his accent was to die for.

\- Well, you know, in this work my reputation is everything, especially now that I am working as a project –based freelancer. If I start calling clients difficult, the word will easily spread and then I will not get projects which means that I would lose my livelihood and should start living on Michaels expense.  
\- Oh… Well if Michael doesn’t want to provide you… I am more than happy to be your sugar daddy. I am an extremely giving person. he said and winked his eye at you again. You burst into laughter and covered your face with your hands so your laughter got muffled. James chuckled and stared at you shaking on your seat as you continued laughing. You calmed down and he asked  
\- How come is “challenging” any better?  
\- Because, Mr. McAvoy-  
\- Please, call me James, unless you came up with the nickname already?  
\- Ha-ha! Because, James, if anyone asks… I like challenges.  
\- Oh… I see. Is that why you like Michael? he asked you with curious tone which might had carried a hint of bitterness or jealousy as an undertone. Maybe you were only imagining. Surely you were only imagining it.  
\- Haa-haa! Very funny!  
\- Anyway, surely you can say “difficult” when you’re talking with me? Your secret is safe with me. Besides any friend of Michaels is a friend of mine and I do not rat out my friends. he said and placed his hand over yours. You did not dare to pull your hand away instantly so you waited for a moment and then pretended that you had to fix your hair. A perfect save, although he had alluringly soft hand, Michaels hands were a little rougher.

\- Thank you. you said and smiled. A long silence followed during which James kept examining your face which made you blush a bit. You felt like he had been reading you like an open book which was strange, considering the fact that you had just met him and the other fact that you were dating his friend, of which you had to keep reminding yourself about because his eyes were just mesmerizing. Michaels eyes were also very beautiful and full of emotions, which was the thing that you liked very much, but James’ eyes were mysterious. It was no wonder that he had been selected to play the telepath.  
\- I am sorry, I am not really a telepath, you need to tell me what’s on your mind. he said after a while.  
\- Nothing! I was just thinking what you’re staring at. Do I have something on my face? you asked and took your phone, opened the front camera and checked yourself quickly.  
\- Yes… he answered and stared at you even more intensely.  
\- What!?  
\- Just the most charming smile. How do you keep men from falling in love with you on the first sight?  
\- Who said that I do? I might have an army of desperate men, each one of them ready to give their hearts to me… So if you ever need a heart transplant… You know who to turn to. you joked.  
\- Would you take my heart as well and sell it on the black market?  
\- I don’t know… Yours I might keep as a souvenir.  
\- I do not know whether I find that very evil or considerate. he commented after thinking about it for a moment. He looked thoughtful, almost like had been trying to read your thoughts again.  
\- Maybe it is the best if you keep your heart yourself. I am sure it would be a nice trophy in my bookshelf gathering dust, but I think it’s in better use if you’ll just hang onto it yourself. you stated and then shifted your gaze from him down on the table. He was better to come up with something funny to say or else the mood was going to get too serious.

\- I’ll try to, but if you’ll kick my ass in bb-gun –war I will steal you away and Michael will never see you again. I mean, he might have the looks and the height, but I am funny. Let me get you’ll drunk and you’ll find everything I say funny.  
\- Right! Why get me drunk when I find everything you say funny like this already! you exclaimed and started to laugh again. Everything that he said just sounded too adorable with that Scottish accent of his.  
\- So there is hope?  
\- What are we talking about? you exclaimed and started to laugh. James seemed just like the type of person that was very easy to talk to. He was warm and genuine, he was not afraid of making fun of himself and he had a very calming presence with a spark of mischief in his eyes. Besides he seemed very down-to-earth –like at least according your first impression of him. But he kept flirting with you and you were not quite sure if it was only joking or was he really flirting with you. Did he understand that you were quite serious about Michael? Sure, if you had been single, you most definitely had been jumping all over James but now the situation was different and you were not entirely sure if he knew it. However you decided that the lines were clear and Michael had told him that you were his girlfriend.  
\- So tell me, how did you and Michael meet? James asked.  
\- At a wedding…  
\- I did not know that you are married and Michael trusted someone to fix him up… although must say that whoever arranged the marriage did bloody fine job with finding the bride!  
\- Thank you, I guess… Anyway Michael is a friend of my friend, so when he got married we both got invited to the wedding. I could not stand him at all at first… but then we started to talk and that’s it pretty much.  
\- Almost like Mr. Darcy and Miss Bennet. Your own Austen –story. James commented.  
\- Ha-ha! Jane Austen would roll in her grave if she heard you making that reference!  
\- I suppose. he said and flashed a shy smile.

\- How about you? Any Miss Bennet in your life? you asked.  
\- Not currently.  
\- And why is that?  
\- Well, you have not let me get you drunk yet. he answered and smirked at you. You started to laugh because that was the only thing to do that actually made sense. You could not tell him to take it down a notch since you were not sure if he was just joking or really trying to hit on you. Maybe Michael had not told him that he was serious about you! If he had not told that to his friend then how serious this thing between you and him actually was? You laughter died and you looked seriously troubled.  
\- (Y/N)… I am sorry, I am making you uncomfortable. he said suddenly.  
\- Can you answer one question, James?  
\- Of course!  
\- Has Michael told you anything about me? Has he said anything about the state of my relationship with him?  
Then James looked at you with a serious look on his face. He looked puzzled and tried to figure out what you had meant with the question. Sure Michael had talked about you, something, but he had never mentioned anything about a relationship. He had said that his special friend was coming to the set and asked James to keep you company during the times when he was filming or otherwise occupied, but nothing else. Therefore he gave you the only answer that he could which was  
\- No.


	19. Work and play

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You settle in and fill your days with work. Michael doesn't still tell anyone that you're his girlfriend and it is darkening your mood.

You processed the answer in your mind, stood up and walked out from the trailer. Out there you were just one of the crew members, a faceless person in the sea of busy people. You breathed in the air and sighed. Then you chuckled sarcastically and kicked a stone that was on the ground.  
\- Did I upset you? I am sorry if I did… James said as he came out from your trailer.  
\- Nah… it’s just… You know what, never mind! It is something I need to discuss with Michael himself.  
\- Are you sure that you’re alright? I mean you seem that there is something you need to get off your chest…  
\- It’s just… Oh Michael, hi! you interrupted yourself when you saw Michael walking towards your trailer. You would had wanted to hug him but since he did not give you any sign, like opened his arms as a welcome, but instead of doing so, he put his hands into his pockets making you wonder what the hell was going on with him. You of course said nothing since you did not want to make a fuss, not yet at least.  
\- Hi! Did you get settled already? he asked and greeted James with a nod to which he replied “hi”.  
\- I did… yes. I set up my “office” and got some work done, or tried at least. you answered casually.  
\- Yet another difficult client? Michael asked. He sounded concern but very neutral. Back in London he would most likely had wrapped his arms around you and told you that it was going to be alright. You had been in filming location for some hours and you missed London already. Who had thought!  
\- Challenging! James corrected. You chuckled a little.  
\- Yes… thank you, challenging. I should really get back to it. you commented and took a glance at the trailer that was now your home, temporarily, but your home nevertheless.  
\- But it’s almost dinnertime. I was going to ask you to come for a dinner with the crew. Michael said and smiled. “With the crew, of course” you thought and faked a smile.  
\- You know… I will just grab something from the cafeteria-shop -kind of thing. It is still quite hot so I am not that hungry even.  
\- Are you sure? he asked.  
\- Yeah-yeah… it’s okay, just go with the crew. you said and wished both of the guys a very lovely dinner. This time you shut the door when you got into your trailer. The truth was that you were quite hungry but in your current state of being puzzled and annoyed at the same time you did not want to get in the middle of all the people that you did not know. You sat down and opened your laptop again.

You stared at the open project and sighed. You did not want to be that insecure little girl who needed constant attention to feel appreciated but Michael had seemed distant. Maybe he was just focused on the role, maybe it was the way he was when he was working, yes, you were at his work place now, but you were deeply bothered by the fact that he had not told about you being his girlfriend to James who was his dear friend although they had been hanging around together in the filming set for some time now.  
And now James was flirting with you because he did not know and you did not dare to set the record straight because you did not know whether it was your place to make such an announcement, but just a day ago you had been watching the sunset together with Michael and he had told you that he loved you. Had he just said it because he thought that it was something that you wanted to hear? Because no, you did not if he did not mean that.  
After an hour you heard a knock on your window, it was James who was returning from the dinner and on his way to his trailer. He smiled and waved his hand at you. You flashed a pathetically lame smile in the return and waved a little. You decided that you had to talk with Michael at some point if the situation did not change. Not yet because you did not know if he was just busy or still getting used to the idea that you were here as well… Gosh, who knew! He behaved in a completely different way now compared to when you were alone with him.

The next day you did not see Michael at all. You were told that they were filming some Magneto –scenes in a remote location and he would come back in few days. You thanked for the information and thought that it was a perfect opportunity for you to get more work done. Four weeks passed by quite quickly. You had some casual chats with James and Michael, but never with Michael alone. He had not even kissed you since you had arrived to the trailer-park. You felt sad and lonely and you were constantly having a somewhat bad mood, which annoyed you because then you did not get any work done and you just felt irritated about everything.  
Then James found you again, he was not surprised when he found you alone. He had been a little worried if he had managed to upset you somehow and now you were avoiding him but that was not the case… or maybe it was the case a little since you did not know how to adjust yourself to his flirting and if it even was flirting. Maybe it was only humor and you were getting nervous for nothing.

You had had a short discussion about the subject with Michael a week after your arrival, and it had gone pretty much like this:  
\- Michael…  
\- Yep?  
\- Is James always so… flirty or is he just… joking?  
\- What do you mean?  
\- I am just wondering whether I should just go with it or put stop to it.  
\- it’s just James… Don’t mind him! Sure, you can joke with him as much as you like.  
\- A-alright… Uhm, does he know that I am your girlfriend?  
To which Michael had not answered anything. He had just changed the subject and let it be, so you had let it be as well. 

After that he had been very busy with the filming, which was understandable, but it was funny that James however seemed to find time to hang out with you here and there, even though it was just a quick “hello”. Now he was there again, visiting your trailer.  
\- Well here you are! he said and stepped into your trailer.  
\- And again I find you working. he continued with a disapproving tone.  
\- Deadlines-  
\- Deadlines can wait… because I’ve got something… he said and flashed a playful smile that really awakened your curiosity.  
\- Very well… What did you get? you asked and followed him out. There you saw a selection of water guns made of colorful plastic. It had been a terribly hot day and you liked the idea of water war.  
\- So is this you challenging me into a water war, Mr. McAvoy? you asked and emphasized words “you” and “me” by pointing at James and then pointing out at yourself.  
\- Yes. There is a kind of a pool near the actors trailers, we can load the guns there.  
\- Who else is playing?  
\- No one… just us, mano e mano. Michael is busy. Don’t worry, I promise to go easy on you.  
\- Easy on me? Oh… You’re going to beg for mercy before you know it!  
\- We shall see about that! James shouted and took a gun that was only a medium sized. You however selected the meanest motherf*cker there was and then locked the trailer before following James to the pool. You helped him to carry the other water guns there as well and you filled them all up. You tied your hair up and gave James the meanest glare you could. He returned to your gaze with the same intensity as you were standing only a couple of meters away from each other waiting for either of you to take the first shot. You had charged your Super Soaker CPS 3000 that had a back bag for extra water supply so you were ready to fire at will.

\- The rules… you can recharge your weapon and change it at anytime. James began.  
\- Good to know.  
\- You may not shoot other people or inside the trailers. When me and Michael played this the last time, we kind of got a warning for that.  
\- Alright. you commented.  
\- Only one weapon at a time.  
\- You sure have plenty of rules! Is there anything that you can do? you asked.  
\- Running is most recommended, hiding allowed and begging for mercy-  
\- Is only necessary if you’re a chicken! you stated and pursed up your lips. James laughed  
\- Shooting is allowed after 10 seconds, running starts… he said and paused  
\- Now! he exclaimed and quickly disappeared behind a trailer. You could not see him but you heard him counting down the seconds. You sneaked on the other side of the trailer and managed to surprise him.

\- … Zero! he shouted and at that moment you fired your water gun at him. The water hit him in the back and when he cursed and turned to face you, you laughed the most clichéd evil-laugh ever and disappeared behind the corner. Then you sneaked behind another trailer and waited patiently to get any clues of James’ whereabouts. Soon you heard soft thump-sounds coming from the roof of the trailer. You looked up and managed to say  
\- Oh shit! when the water hit you right in your face. Luckily his gun was not as effective as yours, otherwise similar headshot could had been a little dangerous. You squealed and aimed at him. This time you hit him to his stomach and chest. He did not back away and neither did you. Finally your weapons ran out of water and you had to run to the pool to either refill the current or disregard the old and take another fully loaded gun. There were many to choose one but they were not as effective as the one as the one you had now in use.  
You decided to ignore the rules a bit so you took a small pistol-kind-of-water-gun and then started to fill in your Super Soaker. James ran to the pool as well. He took a new gun and started to shoot at you. You took the small gun and shoot at him without even aiming. Your random fire kept him away so you managed to fill in your favorite water bazooka.

\- That is against the rules! James chuckled.  
\- Hah! Rules are for chickens! you shouted and stood up. You threw the small gun away and then ran behind a garbage bin. You took off the lid and used it as your shield as you attacked James again.  
\- You are a pro! he shouted and ran in front of an open door.  
\- Shit! you shouted because you realized that you could not shoot him as long as he was standing there. You did not want to take a risk of getting the insides of Mr. McKellen’s trailer soaked.  
\- Okay… We seem to have a problematic situation here. If you’ll put your shield away, Captain America, I will leave the doorway of Gandalfs lair.  
\- Fine! you said reluctantly and backed away. When it was safe to turn you ran to the garbage bin and put the lid back on its rightful place. James ran behind you and fired his gun at your back. You turned around and this time you did not run away. You both emptied your guns and ran to fill them again. You took again a small gun as you filled your big gun. James did the same and you agreed that this was the last round. You were both quite soaked and the dinner was approaching. Your gun was all set again and you ran behind another trailer. James hid under the same trailer and crawled at your direction. When he had a clear aim at your feet, he fired his water gun and you squealed when you felt the water hitting your feet. He laughed loudly when it took a little time to realize where the water was coming from. However when you did, you ran quickly on the other side of the trailer, lay down on your stomach on the ground and fired your gun at him hitting his feet. There was not much to move so he was unable to turn himself to defend himself. He crawled forward and you ran back on the other side to meet him when he crawled out. Your gun was still half-full, all thanks for the back bag –thing and James’ gun was empty. He raised his hands up and shouted  
\- Fine, I surrender!

You stopped shooting and walked to him, offered your hand for a handshake. He took it and squeezed your hand tightly. It was a firm handshake which you appreciated. In your opinion a handshake told you a lot about the character of the person. No one wanted to shake hands with a fish, so a limp handshake was the worst thing you knew and did not give a good impression of the person.  
\- You are evil! he commented.  
\- But I would like to accompany you for a dinner today. he said and suddenly pulled you closer. He was not much taller than you so your eyes were almost on the same level. You stared into his eyes and you gazed back just as intensely.  
\- Hm… only if the loser of this fair fight pays for the dessert. you answered and straightened your posture.  
\- You are something alright… but fine! Dessert is on me. he said and let go of your hand. You nodded and told him that you would try to find your way back to your trailer, dry your hair, change clothes and fix your face.  
\- Sure… It’s just straight, turn right from the third trailer, five trailers straight, to the left then and yours should be right around the corner.  
\- Yes sir! you said and saluted him in the military way. You asked him if you could still help him with the water guns but he answered that he would tell his assistant to do it. You managed to get lost a little and ask for instructions from a couple of extras but then after running around like a headless chicken, you managed to find your own trailer. You unlocked the door and went in.  
  
Small shock greeted you when you saw your face on the mirror; your make up was smudged quite badly and you had panda-eyes but you could only laugh. You also noticed that the shirt that you had been wearing had become slightly see-through when it had gotten wet and since the color of the shirt was quite light, your dark bra had become almost entirely visible.  
\- Well… this is… nice. you commented, closed the curtains and started to change your clothes. After 45 minutes there was a knock on the door. You went to open it and it was James. He was not wearing a t-shirt and shorts anymore but very stylish shirt and trousers. He had shaved and brushed his hair very neatly.  
\- Oh, wow! You look nice! you exclaimed. James blushed a little. He offered you his hand as you came down the few steep stairs from your trailer, just to help you or as a gentleman-like gesture. Then he corrected his posture and smiled proudly.  
\- Thank you. I wanted to try at least since I am taking the winner of our water war “out” for a dinner. he said. You bowed theatrically and chuckled. James did look good, very different compared to the earlier look. Although he had looked very cute with his wet messy hair, casual t-shirt and shorts glued to his chest… but now he looked very handsome.  
\- You look very beautiful as well. he said almost shyly.  
\- Thank you, I just threw something on… It’s nothing… special. you stammered not knowing if he was thinking that you were on your way to a date. You decided that there was no way he was taking you “out-out” as a date, it was impossible, you loved Michael, however it seemed very much that James did not know that. In his opinion you were just Michaels friend. Besides Michael had not behaved like a boyfriend even once during the past 4 weeks so you were just happy if someone gave a damn about you for a change!

You collected foods to eat from a buffet and then followed James with your tray to a quiet table. You sat down opposite from him. It was obvious that you were slightly nervous.  
\- What’s wrong? James asked suddenly after following you playing with the meatballs on your plate with your fork. You kept pushing them from the side to the other and then stopped when you heard asking that question.  
\- Nothing. you said and smiled. You started to cut the meatballs into smaller pieces instead of playing with them. You reasoned that it was less suspicious that playing with them.  
\- Do you always like to play with balls? James asked and when you burst into laughter he quickly corrected himself by saying  
\- Meatballs!  
He looked at you knowing that his joke had worked just the way he had wanted; he had said something that could easily be taken in a wrong way and then he corrected himself making you think that you had just understood him the wrong way and you were the one with the dirty mind.  
\- But seriously, what is wrong?  
You looked deep into James’ eyes and sighed. Then you shifted your eyes back to the plate and put down your fork and knife. You could not take it anymore, the not-knowing what your status with Michael was and if there was any status anymore. It was obvious that it bothered you and since James noticed and was kind enough to ask, you decided to tell him.

\- Come on, you can tell me. he answered and smiled a little.  
\- I am supposed to be Michaels’ girlfriend. you said and smiled briefly. Your smile however carried an undertone of sadness that made James worried.  
\- Oh? I… did not know that. he commented and felt a little foolish now.  
\- Or that’s what I thought. He… is behaving here in a totally different way than back in London. The day when he picked me up from the airport he told me that he loved me… but here he is just ignoring me and I cannot figure out why that is. you mumbled and stared down at the plate with an openly sad look on your face.  
\- I had no idea…  
\- Yeah, well… You wouldn’t because he has not said anything or behaved in any way that would give any hints at that direction. you commented.  
\- Well I am glad that we got that sorted out. I would not want to steal my friends maybe-girlfriend. James stated and cleared his throat.  
\- Ha-ha!  
\- Just promise me one thing. he said with a hesitant tone. You raised your head and shifted your eyes into his. He was silent for a moment as he made sure that he got your full attention.  
\- What? you answered and tried to smile. You felt completely naked in front of him without your smile.  
\- If he keeps treating you like this, you will not tolerate it. I am willing to stand up for you and set him straight because I find you very fascinating and attractive… If you were my girl, I would shout it to the world.


	20. My "special friend"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So... You have chat with James and things take one turn to worse...

The rest of the dinner you were quite silent. James understood your desire for mental solitude pretty well although you apologized for it. He bought you the dessert as he had promised and then walked you back to your trailer.  
-Thank you for listening. I know I shouldn’t had poured it on you but I just don’t know what to do. Has he… talked about anything to you? You have seen him more than I hav-uff… I’m sorry, I don’t want to get you involved. you said and sat down on the stairs of your trailer. James sat next to you and put his hand on your knee as a sign of comfort, understanding and companionship.

\- You know… Michael is a talented actor. He is very good at what he does mostly because he takes time to focus and get into the role he’s playing. Magneto as a role… have you seen the X-men –movies?  
\- Some, the later ones… you answered.  
\- Yes, well… then you might know that Magneto is a very dark role. James said as he tried to lift your mood by giving you some idea of why Michael was behaving the way he was. It was not like James had known the reasons behind Michaels actions but he thought that you might appreciate if someone at least tried to come up with an explanation.  
\- I know he is the bad guy… and not because he is evil but because what happened to him. Lots of pain, bitterness and anger in that character. you commented and leaned onto the door and stared at the skies. The sun had already set and the sky was filling up with stars that appeared one by one.  
\- Yes… When my character is looking at the lighter side of the things, Magneto sees only darkness.  
\- So you think that is the reason why he keeps to himself? Why he suddenly ignores me?  
\- Maybe… James said and turned his head so he was able to look at your expressions. You looked tired and sad as you stared at the sky.  
\- I wish he had warned me about it beforehand. Said something like “oh (Y/N), by the way I have this thing that I am going to shut you out completely to get into my character, nothing personal.”  
\- It might not be it…  
\- Or then it might but what am I supposed to do? I mean what if there is something else going on? I might be able to take it these months of filming and hope for the best that it is only what it is… but what if it is something else? you asked although you knew that James did not have the answers and you did not expect him to have them.

\- You need to talk with him.  
\- I know, but I do not want to sound like a princess who needs constant attention.  
\- But it has been going on for… what… four weeks? I do not think that you’re being a princess if you’ll speak your mind. Maybe he is thinking about the same thing but doesn’t know how to bring it up.  
\- Maybe. you mumbled barely audible.  
\- And if everything else fails, you have me. I would love to be the knight in the electric wheelchair and take you away… roll along into the sunset.  
You started to laugh. You had been on the verge of starting to cry but James managed to cheer you up. You stood up and so did he. Suddenly he spread his arms and said “come here”. You hesitated and then hugged him. It felt good to be hugged by someone. He ran his hands up and down on your back and told you that it was going to be alright. You leaned your head onto his shoulder but did not wrap your hands around him, that would had been too close and personal. Suddenly he let you go and stepped away from you.

\- Michael, hi! he said. You turned around and smiled when you saw him.  
\- It seems that I interrupted something. Michael said and looked at you with a look that was surprisingly neutral. You felt dirty immediately although you had not been doing anything wrong but the way Michael had looked at you stung you like a dagger through your heart. It was so distant and cold and neutral that you could not do anything but silently sigh out of pain.  
\- No-uhm… James just made sure that I got some dinner. you answered and tried to smile as sincerely as possible.  
\- And the dinner included a hug as well? Michael asked with a sharp tone.  
\- I sure like those dinners as well. They usually end up in the bedroom… he continued.  
\- Hey-man! Don’t be ridiculous! James said and scoffed.  
\- I know you have been spending time with (Y/N)… Michael said to him with irritated, sharp, snide tone.  
\- Are you suggesting that I am trying to steal your girlfriend? James asked. Michael looked stared at him and then shifted his eyes on you.  
\- She had to tell me, Michael! I was going to ask her out for a date! James stated and crossed his arms.  
\- So you have been hitting on her! Michael stated. He sounded offended, hurt and surprised. Maybe also disappointed.  
\- Well yes… I would be a fool if I didn’t! I had no idea that she is in a relationship with you. James answered.  
\- I trusted you! You knew that I would be busy and I asked you to spend time with her so she would not feel so lonely! I told you that (Y/N) is my special friend. Michael exclaimed.  
\- What is a “special friend” supposed to mean? Should I had just magically read your thoughts Michael, that you meant “girlfriend"? James asked with a loud voice.  
\- Well someone special, obviously! But you and your Scottish charm-  
\- Michael… Leave James out of this! He has done nothing wrong! It is you who let me down, it is that something what’s going on with you! you shouted. You had had enough of it and wanted to call the fight off before it got any worse.  
\- I do not understand you. You have acted completely different the entire time that you have been here. Why? Why is that-huh? you continued with a hurt and accusing tone.  
\- James, can you go? This does not concern you and I do not want you to get involved. you said softly and ran your fingers through your hair nervously.

James asked you once “will you be alright?” as he passed you by. You smiled and nodded. Then he left and you were left alone with Michael. You motioned that he should follow you into your trailer because you did not want to have this conversation in front of everybody. There were people around at all times and you did not want to raise rumors.  
\- So what’s going on? you asked with normal tone. Maybe you managed to talk with him in a civilized manner if you kept your cool.  
\- Nothing… except the fact that my girlfriend and my friend-  
\- That’s the thing! He had no idea because you had not told him! you exclaimed and looked at him with wide eyes.  
\- Why didn’t you tell him then? Michael asked.  
\- Because I did not know if you still felt the same way! You have been ignoring me, treating me like I was just one of your crew members! I am not! you said and could not believe that he was now stating that you should had told his friend when Michael himself was treating you like you had been air.  
\- No you’re not… You’re my girlfriend! Michael stated.  
\- Yes! I thought so too but it has not felt like that for some time. First I thought that you were just busy but then it just went on and on…  
\- What are you accusing me of exactly? he asked bitterly and crossed his arms.  
\- You are ignoring me… and that is wrong… and you know that! you said and paused between the phrases. You kept your voice calm because you did not want to fight, you just wanted to get things back as they were before coming here.

Michael avoided your gaze, he was not saying anything so you decided to ask  
\- Is it the character? Is it because you need to live and breathe it day and night?  
\- It is my method and I do not want to talk about it. he answered. Your calmness was breaking. You took off your bolero jacket because you felt that it was almost like strangling you and preventing you from breathing. It got stuck in your wrists because you had not opened the buttons but you managed finally to get it off. You were breathing in shallow, quick, almost violent breaths and then said  
\- How can you be this cruel? You should had told me beforehand so I could understand-  
\- This is how you win Oscars! But I do not expect you to understand because you’re a no on-  
\- This is also how you lose your girlfriend! Did you think about that? you pleaded with a desperate tone but all you got as a reply was a cold  
\- At this moment I cannot care about such insignificant things.  
\- Fine! Get out! you shouted and pointed at the door. He did not move but kept just staring at you with cold, angry look on his face. You screamed "get out!" again and threw your bolero jacket on the wall. he rubbed his chin and then left. You broke down into tears and fell down on your knees.

One week passed that you did not speak to either of them. James did not dare to come to see you because he assumed that you were trying to figure things out with Michael, who got even deeper into his role. You heard from the extras that Michael was putting out such a performance that was truly amazing and surprised everyone every time he was filming. You however spent your days in your trailer, mostly working or crying until you could not cry anymore.  
After one more week you did not care anymore. You had spent 6 weeks at the filming location and first 4 you had seeing and talking with Michael a little but these last 2 weeks you had not talked with him at all, but then one night you decided to find James. You were lonely and sad, in a need of a friend and you had to talk someone who you knew would make you smile. You knew that Michael would probably disapprove your actions but he had decided not to care for such insignificant things as his girlfriend so you did not care either.

You had bought a bottle of vodka and lemonade to go with you, because you really felt that you needed to clear your head, flush away your sorrows in good company. So you took the bottles, a bag of chips and found your way to James’ trailer. You knocked sharply and soon you heard the familiar accent answering  
\- Hold your horses!  
He came to open the door in loose pants and a t-shirt and he was surprised to see you.  
\- I come bearing gifts. you said and showed him the bottles and the chips. You flashed a rather pathetic smile as you hoped that you would get invited in.  
\- Well, come on in!  
You went in and looked around. James’ trailer was much fancier than yours but it was to be expected. He motioned you to sit down on the sofa while he got glasses and some ice.  
\- Is this the part where I have a chance to get you drunk? he asked and smiled. You chuckled a little. You had missed his company so much lately. Even his flirting to which you had always come up with a witty comeback so the situation never went too far.  
  
\- How have you been doing? he asked and sat next to you. You looked away and sighed.  
\- That well, huh?  
\- Yeah… I have not talked with Michael… Nothing, not a word past these two weeks. you answered and looked at your hands. The whole situation was so absurd. You brushed your hair behind your ear and then shifted your gaze at James who looked worried.  
\- I thought that you were trying to work it out. That’s why I have not been interfering-  
\- Well… We haven’t and I do not know if we are going to. you commented with quite silent, sad voice.  
\- I feel that I am responsible for-  
\- No-no! Don’t be silly. You were the thing that kept me sane those first 4 weeks. you said and smiled. That smile was a genuine and came straight from the bottom of your heart.  
\- And then I abandoned you…  
\- No you did not. Or you did, but I understand why you did it. However I came here to forget about the sorrows and get drunk. you stated and then grinned at James.  
\- And drunk you shall get! James replied and mixed you a drink. You watched with wide eyes how James measured the vodka, or more like did not measure it at all.  
\- This first you need to drink very fast. It’s strong and will taste bad, but you need it. he stated and offered the glass to you. You took it and smelled the drink. You could even smell the vodka through the lemonade.  
\- Tell me about it! you said and emptied the glass with one long gulp. You grinned as the alcohol burned your mouth and then said  
\- Another!  
\- I knew you are a keeper. he laughed and mixed you another drink. This time he did not put that much alcohol than into the first one. You took the glass and emptied it.  
\- Mr. McAvoy, you’re holding back the booze! Besides, you should be drinking as well. you said. James laughed and poured himself a shot, just to keep up with you. He drank the shot quickly and mixed himself a drink.

You kept drinking and laughing with James until the bottle was empty and it was late night. It had not been that big bottle for two persons so you neither of you were that drunk. For you it was more mental, you were mentally more drunk than you actually were. It gave you a sense of freedom to dare things that you wouldn’t had dared normally.  
\- I should go home. you said and stood up. James stood up as well. You took a step and lost your balance but luckily James was there to catch you. He put his hands under your arms to keep you standing straight. You pressed your forehead against his shoulder and enjoyed the feeling of having someone close, holding you. You started to sob silently as the longing for being embraced took over and poured over the high outer walls of your fortress that you had build around yourself during the past 2 weeks of silence and solitude. Then you corrected your balance and stood up straight. Your feet felt a bit shaky still and you sought support from the wall. James however did not let you go. He kept his other arm tightly around you and with the other he guided you to look at him by lifting your chin up gently with his fingers.

He had felt you shaking a little and heard you breathing a bit funny but when he looked into your eyes, he noticed immediately that you had been shedding a few tears although your makeup was still flawless. You stared into his blue eyes that looked like they had been filled with sorrow and heartbreak. He caressed your cheek with his fingertips as he examined the depths of your eyes. One tear rolled on your cheek which made James to frown his eyebrows. He wiped the tear away and kept tracing your cheek with his thumb as his palm cupped your jaw and his rubbed your earlobe between his index and middle fingers.  
He leaned close and pressed his forehead against yours. He closed his eyes and you closed yours. You swallowed your tears once which made your body shake almost violently. James tightened his grip on you and said  
\- I am not letting you home alone in this state.  
\- I cannot stay… you whispered and started to sob again.  
\- I don’t care. But I am not letting you go, not now.  
He took your hand and led you into his bedroom. You took off your shoes and crawled on the bed. He took off his shoes and crawled to lay next to you. You both were laying on your sides, facing each other. The curtains of his trailer were all closed but there was a little bit light coming from the lamps outside.

\- You know… he began and removed a stray lock from your cheek and brushed it behind your ear.  
\- What? you asked with a shaky voice that was barely audible. You kept staring into James’ eyes and fought the tears as well as the sleepiness that was really kicking in because it was very late and James’ bed was much more comfortable than yours. The room was dark but there was still enough light to see that James kept staring at you with a concerned look on his face.  
\- If I was an asshole or if you were not dating my friend…  
\- Uhuh?  
\- I would kiss you. he said and brushed your cheek once more. You smiled briefly as a sign of approval and then let yourself to fall asleep. The morning came soon and you woke up when the sunshine hit your eyes from the gap between the curtains. You got a vivid memory flash of the last night and cursed when you realized where you were. You opened your eyes and saw James sleeping next to you, on his side, facing you. He was holding your hand tightly in his. You tried to release your hand from the grip without waking him up but he opened his eyes and smiled in the most adorable way possible. He kissed your knuckles gently before letting your hand go. When he did, you sat up and as you were storming out from the bed you stopped to think and turned your head to watch him.  
\- I’m sorry… I-I shouldn’t be-  
\- Go. he said softly and smiled. You turned your head away and breathed in and out a couple of times deeply but your breath turned into shallow gasps again. You turned your head back at James.  
\- I’ll be alright. he assured and did not let the smile leave his face.  
\- Thank you. you whispered and then left the bed, put on your shoes and left the trailer. You walked slowly to your trailer, raised your head and stared at the skies. Suddenly it started to rain. You closed your eyes and let the rain fall on your face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Angel_Style  
> This is for you :D Sorry for teasing ;)
> 
> \- Venla :)


	21. Morning after

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You decide that it is time for you to stop feeling sorry for yourself.

You changed your clothes and decided that you had spent too much time feeling bad for yourself. Sure you felt still hurt and basically abandoned but something told you that you were going to be alright no matter what; your life was not going to end even if your relationship with Michael did. You felt bad for using James that way since it was getting pretty clear that he was interested in you in a romantic sense. 

You decided that visiting James was the low-point of your life and there was only one way to go and that was up. You found James very charming, he was the sweetest ever but you knew that it was very unfair towards him if you used him for your comfort. Especially when you knew that if he had kissed you last night, you wouldn’t had pushed him away. You would had most likely taken every bit of kindness that he would had offered you but you knew that it would had been wrong, not just considering Michael but also considering James himself. The situation would had been slightly different if you had decided that there was no future for you and Michael, but you were still hoping and holding onto a foolish wish that he would finally come around and see what he was in danger of losing.

You got an idea that you would go and watch the filming today since you had no urgent project deadlines pending. Besides you knew that Michael was supposed to be shooting an action scene with green screen so it would be interesting for you to see the making of movie magic first hand. You checked yourself in the mirror and then left the trailer. After walking around completely lost you finally managed to find the set.  
Michael was in his role costume and they were filming a scene where he was supposed to float in the air with his powers. He was hanging from the ceiling, balancing himself as he was being pulled up. He recited his lines with low, assertive tone that chilled your core. There was a certain amount of coldness in his entire presence and it did not break even when he saw you among the crew members.

It did not require many takes for him to nail the scene and you heard the director himself complimenting Michael for a superb performance. When the scene had been filmed you waited for a moment but since Michael was nowhere to be seen you thought that it was the best if you left. You managed to exit the set and go outside when you heard your name being called. You turned and saw James.  
\- (Y/N), hey! he said and basically ran to you in his role clothes.  
\- Hi!  
\- Did you come to watch the filming? he asked with a tone that was a mixture of hopeful and excited.  
\- I did… and now I am getting back to work. you answered with a small smile on your face.  
\- No-no-no! You absolutely have to come and see me trying to act. he stated immediately.  
\- Trying-huh? you chuckled while you rubbed your arms a bit. It was slightly colder day than the previous ones had been. It was not currently raining but the forecast had promised wind from north and showers for the afternoon and evening as well.  
\- Yes. Or did you have something planned? James asked with his head slightly tilted and a thoughtful look on his face.  
\- Well, wor-  
\- Besides work?  
\- No. Actually I was kind of hoping to run into you.   
\- Oh? he said with a surprised tone. He walked a couple of steps so he was able to lean onto a wall.  
\- I wanted to thank you for last night and also say sorry for last night. you answered and turned to look at him. The look on his face changed from surprised to curious before he answered  
\- I see… I understand the thank-you –part… I mean I was pretty amazing…  
\- Yes, yes you were. you chuckled.  
\- Why are you sorry then? he asked and his tone was very concerned. He had not expected you to apologized for anything since he had been the one who had asked you to stay, or more like, the one who had stopped you from leaving.  
\- Well… I think it’s safe to assume that you have some feelings for me-  
\- You are not entirely wrong about that… he mumbled and rubbed his ear, then he put his hands to the pockets of his pants and shifted his weight from his leg to another.  
\- …and the way I came to you to cry about my relationship, or lack of it-  
\- You came to get drunk-  
\- Yes, and I had good time. You are a good man, James. you stated with a soft tone and smiled briefly.  
\- I know. he stated with a wide smile on his face. He was pleased that you knew that also and were nice enough to point that out about him.  
\- That’s why I need to apologize for using you like that.  
\- If it makes you feel any better, I kind of liked being used… he admitted.  
\- Ha-ha! Stop it! I am being serious! It is not fair that I use your shoulder shamelessly to cry for another man when you yourself-  
\- Don’t worry about it. Sure I hope that it was me that you were crying for-  
\- Ha! you exclaimed and chuckled a little. “Here we go again” you thought.

\- Although I would never make you cry… Well, tears of joy only and extreme pleasu-  
\- Okay, that’s quite enough. you chuckled. “Yep, he just said that!” you thought as you kept laughing.  
\- Seriously though. My door is always open for you. You are my dear friend and if there is anything that I can do for you, do not hesitate to ask. Anytime. James said with a serious tone. He smiled at you boyishly and his eyes were basically shining.  
\- Oh you’re saying that I can come in the middle of the night to bang your door?  
\- Well yes, but then you’ll have to let me spoon you. he answered and winked his eye at you. “That Scottish bastard!” you though, but only in the playful, loving way and burst into laughter.  
\- Well darling, that is the price for my therapy session if you’ll come in the middle of the night. I cannot promise that I can concentrate on listening to your worries… because I would be busy doing something else…  
\- Uhuh? you said with an “oh really?” –tone.  
\- Because I will be busy sleeping, duh! he said and smiled widely when he saw you bursting into laughter. He had done it again, you should had seen it coming miles and miles away.

\- You seem different today. he said after you had stopped laughing.  
\- Like how?  
\- Not so sad anymore. he stated and he was right. You looked like a burden had been lifted from your shoulders and you were free to breathe deeply again.  
\- Does it show?  
\- Yes, yes it does and I am happy if I had anything to do with it.  
\- In the matter of fact, you did. I really needed a hug….  
\- …and to get drunk. you added.  
\- So… what now? he asked with a slightly hesitant tone.  
\- What do you mean?  
\- After using me so ruthlessly… Are you going to work things out with Michael or… did you decide that you would be better off with me? he said, winked his eyes at you and you knew that he was joking, although you knew that there most likely was a grain of truth somewhere behind the joke.  
\- I suppose you already know that I need to try.  
\- Yeah, kind of figured, although if Michael continues being a bitch… Then I really think, as your personal therapist, just saying… that you should sneak into my trailer and let me spoon you. You would wake up completely transformed. My spooning skills have been complimented… I’ve been told that it’s so small so you can hardly feel it so you can just sleep… Very relaxing…

\- Oh my gosh! You are talking to a woman who is spoken for…  
\- Ah… Spoken for Mr. Darcy. Yes, I keep forgetting that. My sincerest apologies, Miss. Bennet. Besides it’s not that small… you would definitely feel it… And… it’s not the size that matters but what you can do with it…  
You started to laugh and blushed terribly. James smiled but suddenly the look on his face changed completely. He asked “can you hear that?” to which you answered “what?” He looked on alert, put his hand on his ear in order to hear better and said “I can hear friend-zone calling me again”. Then he ran his fingers through his hair and stated  
\- I am happy to see you laughing again. However, I am afraid I must go to get my bald-wig on… I will hopefully see you in the set and at lunch after that.  
\- Sure. you answered and smiled.

You felt good for being able to apologize to James, it made you feel like at least something in your life had been fixed. Now you had to find Michael and talk with him before he heard from someone else that you had spend the night at James’ trailer, in his bed to be exact but that was a detail that he did not need to know.  
You heard an ”ahem” coming from behind you and you turned. It was Michael, he had been around the corner and heard the entire conversation.  
\- How long have you been there? you asked and tried to cover that you were surprised. By now you should had learnt that anyone could eavesdrop your conversations anytime if you were having them outside.  
\- Long enough. So “thank you for last night”? he asked. His voice sounded quite cold and distant, but surprisingly not angry.  
\- I slept in James’ bed last night. you said. It kind of slipped out although you had decided that he did not need to know the “bed” –part. You cursed yourself silently and bit your lip.  
\- Well, it did not take long for you to move on…  
\- I was visiting him and leaving when I started to cry. He offered his shoulder and-  
\- Are you sure that it was all he offered? Michael asked. His tone had turned from cold and distant to the hurt –side. You felt bad for hurting him. That was the last thing you wanted to do, ever, but you did not want to lie either. It would had been worse if he had heard the truth from someone and then you should had confessed. Yes, that would had been worse for sure.  
\- Yes. I even brought the booze myself so… he provided me a glass, some ice, company, a shoulder to cry on and a bed to sleep in… actually “to sleep on” since we did not even open the bed. There was no need because neither of us took clothes off. In the morning I thanked James for his friendship and then I left.  
\- Yes, I heard that someone saw you sneaking out early this morning. he commented.  
\- I am not surprised. This is like a very tight little village after all.

A silence followed. It was a slightly awkward silence that did not seem to end at all until you decided to break it yourself by asking  
\- How is the movie coming along?  
\- Well… I saw you at the set. You haven’t come to see me performing before.  
\- No, I haven’t. Although I have heard that you are giving excellent performance and-uhm… I have to agree. Your method is clearly working. you said and smiled a little. You had promised to yourself that you would not cry anymore but talking to Michael just brought back so many things that you missed. You faked a smile to cover the tears that were building inside but which you managed to swallow so none of them fell on your cheek.  
\- Are you going to see James performing? Michael asked casually. He rubbed his cheek and then ran his fingers through his short, brown hair.  
\- Yeah, I-I promised…  
\- Okay, well, you should probably then go. he said and his tone was distant again.  
\- May I invite you over later today? you dared to ask after a small silence.  
\- You may always ask but I cannot promise that I’ll come.  
\- Okay… Well, you know where to find me… It’s there in the back with the maintenance crew, far-far back-  
\- Basically in the moon. he chuckled and shifted his gaze from you to the ground.  
\- Oh come on! It’s not that far away! Just, you know… 10 trailers straight…. maybe 5 or 6 to the right, and then you keep going until you’ll hear me cursing…  
\- Diff- sorry, challenging c- he chuckled because he knew your difficult clients all too well.  
\- You can say difficult. You’re the only person to whom I can admit that the clients are a pain in the ass sometimes.  
\- I miss that ass. Michael mumbled.  
\- I was kind of hoping that you would miss something else ass-well.  
\- Baby steps. he answered with a soft tone and he was even smiling a little which gave you some hope.  
\- Yeah… well, I take any steps.  
\- It sounds that you have missed me.  
\- Would it surprise you if I had? you asked and looked him with a thoughtful look on your face. You did not really know if he knew how much exactly you had missed him. It was a big deal for you and it hurt you that he did not realize that.  
\- Not really. he commented. You were speechless because with that joking earlier you had hoped that you had moved closer to him mentally but it seemed that you were still somewhere far away from him where he had pushed you. It was a cold place to be, cold and lonely.  
\- Okay. you said and nodded. Then you heard announcing that the filming was about to begin.  
\- I should… you said and pointed at the door.  
\- Yeah.  
\- Okay, well… Have a lovely day. you said and then turned your back at Michael. As you were walking away he called your name and said  
\- You are not insignificant, but at this moment I cannot give you the attention you deserve.  
You turned around and smiled briefly.  
\- I understand. you said, then opened the door and disappeared inside the studio-building.

James’ performance was excellent as well. It included plenty of stares and intense dialogue. There were a couple of takes that were going to end up to the gag-reel for sure but otherwise James handled the situation like a pro. On a break he came to talk with you. He told you that he had seen Michael and told him about you spending the night with him, or at his place. He told you that he had also suggested that Michael would talk with you and try to patch things up since the silence was clearly tearing you apart.  
\- You said that? you asked him surprised.  
\- Well yes. Do you want me to go and take it back?  
\- No-no… Whatever you told him worked. He came to talk with me after you had left to your bald-wig –thing.  
\- Oh? What did he say? James asked and this time he sounded sincerely surprised.  
\- That he misses my ass. you chuckled and then sighed.  
\- Just the ass? I mean it is a fine ass and I would miss it too… but really?  
\- Baby steps, James, baby steps.  
\- Oh-man! Really? he asked and looked at you like he was not really believing his ears.  
\- Yep. you said and nodded.  
\- Maybe you should make Michael jealous… I volunteer to help you. he suggested with a innocent smirk on his face.  
\- I appreciate that you try to fix my relationship, although it is safe to say that your methods are quite unorthodox…  
\- We, the short guys, have to try twice as hard…  
\- You’re not that short, come on! Besides, the centimeters you think you “lack” in height, you compensate tenfold in personality.  
\- Only tenfold? he asked and sounded disappointed. He was only joking of course and you knew that.  
\- Hundredfold!  
\- That’s better… Now I must return on the stage, if you’ll excuse me.  
\- Sure!  
\- The lunch is still on, isn’t it? he shouted from the distance.  
\- Yes!

You went to get lunch with James and sat down in Michaels table. It was the first time you all three were in the same place at the same time since the fight. The atmosphere was surprisingly relaxed and even Michael laughed a bit but he was clearly deep in his role. In the evening he did not come to see you like you had requested. You really were not surprised although you had been somewhat hopeful. You were quite tired anyway so maybe it was a good thing that he did not come to visit your trailer.

The days went on and you kept spending time with James. He was flirting and you always came up with witty comebacks. He knew that he was strictly a friend and there was no way to escape the friend-zone as long as you hoped to work it out with Michael. It was easier now, though, that he had told you that you were not insignificant and he was keeping his distance because the role required it.  
Then one hot day you received a note, an invitation to a yet another water war. Bb-guns had been banned because they caused too many injuries and the makeup artists were tired of covering up the bruises. That’s why they used water guns now. You changed your clothes into loose pants and a dark top so you were not going to repeat the see-though –accident of the previous war.

You found the pool and saw Michael, James and a couple of other actors waiting for you. They had clearly gotten more Super Soakers so even though you were the last one to arrive you managed to get a gun with the back bag-water tank.   
\- Girls versus boys! James said and made that “I am watching you” gesture at you. You glanced at him arrogantly and shook your head with a smirk on your face. Oh you were going to kick that Scottish ass!


	22. Water war -round two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So you get to have your revenge at Michael for ignoring you all this time.

But more than anything you wanted to kick that Irish ass. It was your chance to get your payback for past 3 months of ignoring you. You sneakily stalked his weapon and reasoned that you had the water tank twice as big as his so you had pretty good chances to nail the bastard. James went through the rules again and reminded you that they were not for chickens. You laughed and commented that “says the one who lost the last time”. This time there were also small water balloons as well and you grabbed a couple of those. You thought that they might come handy in an ambush.  
You all filled in your guns as well as the spear ones before gathering around the swimming pool, girls on the other side and the boys on the other side. First there was a minute to discuss the plan for the attack. The other girls had elaborate suggestions that sounded very difficult to follow through. Therefore you stopped their arguing and said  
\- What if we’ll just soak those fuckers? We get them separated and aim so we do not miss.

Your teammates agreed that it was a good plan. The guys however had a different approach; they wanted to move as a team and cause havoc like that, always covering the one who was getting his weapon refilled. Then it was time to start. James started to count to ten as the guys team stayed at the pool. The girls however ran to different directions and moved as silently as secret agents. You listened to the guys shouting as a group as they moved together, you were in your hiding place and planned your attack. They were boosted with self confidence. Overly confident in your opinion.

\- Are you scared, little girls? you heard the Scotsman shouting. They were approaching just around the corner. You felt your heart racing as their commando team neared your hiding place. When they had just walked past you, you jumped out from the hiding place, threw one balloon at Michaels back and ran away before he was able to get you. Their plan of action was effective if they managed to surround someone but as they had agreed to move as a well organized machine they were quite slow in their movements.

You laughed when Michael turned to watch who had gotten him and he was surprised that it had been you. You smirked at him and before he was able to aim you had disappeared behind the corner nearby already. You managed to attack them like that many times. The other members of your team as well and the only time you were somewhere at the same time was when you were filling your guns. Then one kept guard and kept shooting at the guys, one filled her gun and one was a distraction and tried to drive the guys further away from the pool.  
You had taken some hits as well but the guys were almost completely soaked and therefore they took a timeout and decided to change their strategy because what they had been doing had sucked ass, big time, sideways. What they had been doing was not working and finally they had come to the only reasonable conclusion that it was time to change the tactics.

\- Michael, do you want to hunt (Y/N) down and take care of her? James asked. Michael chuckled with a smirk on his face and nodded. He kept staring at you like he had been a predator and you were the helpless prey. You gave him the same kind of smirk and took a sort of power pose with the gun to emphasize the fact that you were not going to get your ass kicked. He made the “I am watching you” –gesture and you exclaimed  
\- Look who’s talking! Mr. Irish wet T-shirt!  
Michael walked to stand in front of you.  
\- What did you say? he asked and stared into your eyes intensely.  
\- I am just pointing out, Mr. Fassbender, that despite of that bad-ass –thing you think you have going on… you have already lost this battle. you said and took your ghetto-attitude, which included talking with your hands, or hand since you were holding the gun with your other hand, into the game.  
\- You think so?  
\- No… I know so. you said and pursed up your lips.  
\- Well, you know what? he said and leaned closer and then he continued with a silent voice  
\- I will drive you behind the furthest corner and then we shall see how soaked I can get you.  
\- Is that indeed so? you asked and raised your head a little so you could see his face. Suddenly he wrapped his free hand around your waist and pulled you against his body. Then he slammed his lips on yours and kissed you hungrily in front of all the other players. The kiss was hungry and passionate, dangerous even. He deepened his kiss and slipped his tongue into your mouth when you were gasping for air. After he had made your head spin he let you go and smirked at you mischievously.

Your heart was beating and you had a hard time to recoil when James shouted at you that the timeout was over.  
\- (Y/N)! Michael shouted.  
\- What? you asked and shook yourself fully awake.  
\- Game time. he said with an assertive tone  
\- Showtime, baby! you answered and bit your lip. You knew that it always distracted Michael when you did that.  
There was the same countdown again, this time it was you who started the counting. Everybody ran away. You were left alone to the pool-area. You had not paid any attention to the direction where Michael had gone but it did not matter. You saw your teammate hiding behind a corner. She was signing that she saw one guy approaching from the other side. You nodded and signed that you would attack and signed her to surprise the guy from the back as you would attack from the front. You showed her that you still had two of those balloons left and prepared to throw one at the guy. It was James.

He cursed loudly when you managed to hit him in his chest with the balloon and then at the same time he was hit in the back by your teammate. He however started to shoot you and you had to take cover. James started to run after you and after chasing you quite far away from the pool he shouted “now Michael” who jumped off from the roof of a trailer and landed in front of you. You squealed and tried to turn around to escape. You managed to back away a bit as he kept firing at you as well as you at him until your weapons were empty. Then he leaped at you and grabbed your waist, pushed you against the wall.

The time slowed down, or that was how it felt. You leaned against the wall as Michael had trapped you with his arms between himself and the wall of the trailer. You remembered that you still had one of those balloons inside your top where you had carried it, so you sneakily took it and lifted your hand so it was right in front of his face. He had not been paying attention until you turned your hand so he could see the balloon. Before he managed to react you sank your nails into the thin rubber and squeezed it until it exploded right at his face.  
\- You will pay for that! he said with a soft tone. You had not heard that tone for 3 months and hearing it now made your knees weak.  
\- You think? you asked defiantly.  
\- Always so defiant! I caught you now and you are the spoils of war.  
\- What if I will escape?  
\- I will take you to my dungeon and tie you up so you cannot run away from me.  
\- I would like to see you try… you said and smiled. Your smile was genuine and it was not defiant anymore. Michael had dropped his gun on the ground already but you still had yours. You stepped away from the wall and lifted your hands up so he was able to lift the back bag away and disarm you as well. Then he pushed you once more against the wall and this time he leaned so close that his body was tightly pressed against yours.  
He brushed your lips with his before kissing you for real. You sighed relieved and wrapped your arms around him. Your lips explored yours and your hands caressed his muscles through his shirt until you slipped your hands under it. He cupped your face and sank his fingers into your wet hair.

\- Ahem! James said suddenly.  
\- I would like to get those weapons back… It seems that you do not need them anymore.  
Michael chuckled and let you go so he could hand James the water guns. Then he shifted his attention to you again.  
\- Oh, get a room… James shouted as he disappeared behind the corner.  
\- What do you say if we’ll continue this at my place? Michael suggested and took your hand. He pressed a soft kiss on your knuckles and smiled at you. You bit your lip and nodded. He led you into his trailer which was right in the neighborhood.

After that Michael did not ignore you anymore. You both returned in London after the filming had ended and you even followed him on his promo tour. You had always wanted to travel anyway. He did not win an Oscar for the movie but every film critic sang high praises for his performance. When it was the time for the premiere –party, you escorted Michael there as well wearing a beautiful dress and the fashion magazines were all over you and Michael, who presented you as his future-bride although he had not even proposed, yet. Finally you gave away your apartment and moved in with Michael. Unfortunately you had to leave your band because you were not spending that much time in London anymore. You still kept singing and sometimes performed in the open-mic –events. What comes to your career, you kept working as a freelancer but only part-time so you had time to do things that did not cause so much stress.

James and you stayed as good friends after the premieres and promo-tours had ended. He still kept flirting with you as you kept shooting his flirts down with witty comebacks. Your friendship with him was so strong that when you finally got married, you asked him to be your “maid of honor” with Emily, of course. He accepted the position and kept flirting with you even in your wedding.

***  
What comes to Garret and Emily, they kept matchmaking their friends with mixed results but with you and Michael they got it right and for that you were eternally grateful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for your attention, kudos, comments... Thank you for reading!
> 
> The next story will be a love triangle between the reader, Mikke and James.
> 
> \- Venla :)
> 
> Ps. I hope you liked this finale


End file.
